THE  HOP 

Its  Culture  and  Cure 
Marketing  and   Manufacture 


A  PRACTICAL  HANDBOOK  ON  THE 
MOST  APPROVED  METHODS  IN  GROW- 
ING,  HARVESTING,  CURING  AND  SELL- 
ING HOPS,  AND  ON  THE  USE  AND 
MANUFACTURE  OF  HOPS 

HERBERT  MYRICK 


Editor  American  Agriculturist,  Author  of  '*  Tobacco 
Leaf,"  "The  American  Sugar  Industry,"  "How 
to  Co-operate,"  "  Money  Crops,"  etc.,  etc. 

Assisted  by  practical  experts  in  successful  hop 
culture  in  America,  England  and  Europe,  dealers  in 
hops  and  manufacturers,  and  by  specialists  in  the 
sciences 


PROFUSELY  ILLUSTRATED 

ORANGE    JUDD    COMPANY 

New  York__^^  Springfield,  Mass  Chicago,  III 

1899 
k 

TT'NTVF.'RSTTV 


Copyright  1899 

BY 

ORANGE  JUDD  COMFANV 


ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 


In  the  preparation  of  this  work  the  author  has  had 
the  co-operation  of  many  of  the  leading  hop  growers 
and  dealers  in  two  continents,  to  whom  his  debt  is  most 
gratefully  acknowledged  for  facts,  experiences  and 
photographs.  The  United  States  department  of  agri- 
culture has  furnished  certain  illustrations,  while  official 
statistics  and  returns  have  been  supplied  by  the  United 
States  treasury  department,  the  English  board  of 
agriculture  and  the  German  foreign  office.  The 
somewhat  scanty  literature  on  the  subject  has  been 
freely  drawn  upon,  including  nearly  all  the  works  listed 
in  our  bibliography.  During  the  past  fifteen  years  that 
the  author  has  been  collecting  data  on  this  subject,  in 
connection  with  "Our  Hop  Growers'  Exchange" 
department  in  American  Agriculturist,  many  invaluable 
statements  have  been  received  and  these  have  also  been 
fully  employed,  particularly  numerous  essays  of 
practical  men  on  the  cost  of  growing  hops.  Special 
services  have  been  rendered  that  should  have  special 
recognition. 

From  the  state  of  Washington  came  important 
helps  by  E.  Meeker  and  James  Hart,  also  Major  R.  M. 
Hornsby  of  British  Columbia.  Oregon:  A.  J.  Wolcott, 
H.  J.  Ottenheimer.  California:  Lilienthal  &  Co.  of  San 
Francisco,  and  the  Pleasanton  Hop  Company  afforded 
every  possible  assistance  in  the  way  of  photographs, 
statistics  of  coast  crops,  etc.;  Daniel  Flint,  the  hop 
pioneer,  was  a  liberal  contributor  from  his  experience; 
also  L.  F.  Long  and  others,  while  Horst  Brothers 
placed  at  our  disposal  all  the  experience  and  resources 


yi  THE   HOP. 

of  their  various  hop  plantations.  New  York:  James 
F.  Clark,  the  largest  hop  grower  in  the  state;  W.  A. 
Lawrence,  Editor  W.  S.  Hawkins  of  the  Waterville 
Times,  Secretary  Fox  of  the  New  York  city  hop  trade. 

In  England,  the  London  hop  dealers  extended 
every  assistance,  also  numerous  growers.  All  the 
results  of  the  scientific  experiments  conducted  at  the 
Southeastern  agricultural  college  at  Wye,  in  Kent, 
were  generously  made  available  for  this  work  by  Presi- 
dent Hall.  Editor  E.  H.  Elvy  of  the  Kentish  Observer 
aided  with  valuable  data  and  pictures.  Editor  Iron- 
monger's work  in  the  English  Hop  Grozver  (a  useful 
journal,  now  defunct),  has  also  been  an  important  aid, 
and  he  has  contributed  otherwise  to  this  book.  As 
secretary  of  the  National  Association  of  English  Hop 
Growers,  Mr.  Thomas  Ironmonger  has  also  rendered 
much  valuable  assistance.  Special  credit  should  be 
given  to  Charles  Whitehead's  works. 

In  Europe,  we  are  under  special  obligations  to 
C.  Beckenhaupt  of  Alsace,  Von  Barth  &  Co.,  the 
Nuremberg  merchants,  Editor  Fairt  of  the  Deutschen 
Hopfenbau  Vcrein,  and  many  others. 

Dr.  L.  O.  Howard,  chief  of  the  division  of  ento- 
mology of  the  United  States  department  of  agriculture, 
prepared  the  most  of  the  admirable  chapter  on  hop 
insects.  Dr.  H.  W.  Wiley,  chief  of  the  division  of 
chemistry,  aided  in  preparing  the  chemistry  of  the  hop 
plant,  as  presented  by  E.  E.  Ewell,  assistant  in  that 
division.  N.  F.  Walter's  glossary  of  hop  terms  is  a 
distinct  contribution  to  technical  literature.  C.  F. 
Dalton  deserves  much  credit  for  assistance  in  putting 
the  book  to  press. 

In  all  modesty,  therefore,  this  book  may  be  accept- 
ed as  a  comprehensive  treatise  on  its  special  topic. 
Particular  pains  have  been  taken  to  make  it  strictly 
accurate,  so  that  it  may  be  the  authority  upon  all  points 
pertaining  to  hops  of  which  it  treats. 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  I. — ORIGIN  AND  SPREAD  OF  HOP  CULTURE: 

Early  History  of  the  Crop— Development,  of  the  Industry- 
Changes  it  has  undergone — Its  Present  Condition  and  Fu-^. 
ture  Prospects. 

CHAPTER  II.— PECULIARITIES  OF  THE  INDUSTRY: 

Special  Characteristics  and  Uncertainties  of  the  Hop  Crop 
that  make  it  Unique— Effect  of  Substitutes,  Adulteration, 
Taxation,  Consumption,  Climate,  Insects,  Fungi,  Wide  Flue-* 
t-uations  in  Prices,  etc.— Use  of  the  Hop  (strobile),  the  Vine^ 
and  Root. 

CHAPTER  III.— CHARACTERISTICS  OF  THE  PLANT: 

Botanical  Characteristics— Differentiation— Confusion  of 
Varieties— Male  and  Female  Hops— The  Principal  Kinds — 
Seedless  Hops, Varieties— What  Constitutes  Quality  in  Hops. 

CHAPTER  IV.— COMPOSITION  OF  THE  HOP  PLANT  AND  ITS  FRUIT. 

Characteristics  of  Lupul in— Varieties  in  Composition— The 
Chemistry  of  Hops. 

CHAPTER  V. — THE  CLIMATE  AND  SOIL  FOR  HOPS: 

Preparation  of  Soil— Peculiar  Climatic  Conditions  Required 
—Necessity  of  Proper  Soil— The  Kinds  that  Give  Best  Re 
suits,  and  Why — How  to  Prepare  the  Land  for  a  new  Planta- 
tion— American  and  Foreign  Methods. 

CHAPTER  VI. — FEEDING  THE  HOP  PLANT: 

Special  Requirements— What  Hops  take  from  the  Soil- 
Effect  of  Different  Elements  of  Plant  Food  on  Quantity  and 
Quality— Various  Manures  and  Mann  rial  Substances— Com- 
mercial Fertilizers  and  Agricultural  Chemicals— Formulas 
for  Hop  Mixtures— When  aid  How  to  Apply  Fertilization. 

CHAPTER  VII.— LAYING  OUT   A   HOP   YARD— TRAINING    THE 
VINES: 

Direction  of  Rows— Distance  Apart— Training  on  Poles, 
Vines,  Strings,  etc. — American  vs.  English,  French  and 
German  Systems. 

CHAPTER  VIII.— PLANTING  AND  CULTURE: 

Starting  Plants— Selection  and  Care  of  Roots— How  to  Plant 
Them— ('are  of  New  Plantations  the  First  Year— Treatment 
of  Old  Yards— Plowing,  Grubbing,  Cultivating,  Hoeing, 
Laying  By,  etc. 

CHAPTER  IX. — METHODS  OF  THE  PLEASANTON  HOP  COMPANY: 

Full  Details  of  the  Modus  Operandi  Practiced  by  one  of  the 
Largest  Hop  Growers  in  the  World. 

CHAPTER  X.— PESTS  OF  THE  CROP: 

Its  Insect  Enemies  Fully  Treated  by  L.  O.  Howard— Blights, 
Rusts  and  other  Fungi— Hail,  Wind,  Frost,  etc.— Practical 
Directions  for  Combating  all  these  Pests. 

vii 


viii  THE  HOP. 

CHAPTER  XL— HARVESTING  THE  CROP; 

When  to  Pick  the  Hops— Maturity  vs.  Other  Conditions- 
Management  of  Pickers— Full  Account  of  all  Details. 

CHAPTER  XII.—  KILNS  FOR  CURING  HOPS: 

German  and  English  Oast  Houses— Old  and  New  Curing 
Houses  in  America— Modern  Curing  Establishment  on  the 
Pacific  Coast— With  many  illustrations  of  every  detail. 

CHAPTER  XIII.  —CURING,  COOLING  AND  BALING  HOPS: 

Scientific  and  Practical  Directions  Covering  every  step  of 
the  Process— Management  of  the  Curing  Process— Sulphur- 
ing or  Bleaching— Baling  Hops— Many  Additional  Notes  on 
Curing. 

CHAPTER  XIV.— GRADING,  SAMPLING  AND  MARKETING: 

The  Grades  of  Hops  in  American  and  English  Markets- 
Sampling  Hops  Preparatory  to  Selling— Necessity  of  Honest 
Packing  and  Grading— Marketing  the  Hop— When  to  Sell  1o 
the  Best  Advantage— Factors  Affecting  Prices— Storing,  Pre- 
serving or  Extracting  Hops. 

CHAPTER  XV.— CONCENTRATION  IN  HOP  GROWING: 

Evolution  of  the  Industry  on  the  Pacific  Coast — Consoli- 
dation of  Hop  Ranches  Under  a  Single  Management- 
Example  of  the  Horst  Brothers. 

CHAPTER  XVI.— EXPENSES  AND  PROFITS: 

Itemized  Accounts  of  Cost  of  Production  in  America,  Eng- 
land and  Europe— Profits  and  Losses. 

APPENDIX: 

Tables  in  Detail— Statistics  of  Area,  Yield  and  Prices  in 
Various  Countries— Glossary  of  Terms  Used  by  N.  F.Walter. 
— Bibliography — Miscellaneous. 


THK   HOP 


CHAPTER  I 

ORIGIN    AND    SPREAD    OF    HOP   CULTURE 


OR  more  than  a  thousand 
years  the  virtues  of  hops 
have  been  recorded,  and  this 
remarkable  plant  has  doubt- 
less been  cultivated  since  al- 
most prehistoric  times.  Cer- 
tainly more  than  500  years 
have  gone  since  domesticat- 
ed hops  were  brewed  in  mid- 
dle Europe,  but  the  wild 
hops  were  used  much  earlier, 

and  are  brewed  in  Styria  to  the  present  day.  Long  be- 
fore Columbus  sailed  the  pathless  sea,  the  wild  hop  was 
well  established  in  England,  but  came  into  prominence 
only  after  its  culture  was  introduced  into  Kent  by 
Flemish  immigrants  about  1524. 

Though  this  plant  grows  luxuriantly  throughout 
the  temperate  regions,  such  are  its  peculiarities  that 
the  commercial  crop  has  been  confined  to  nearly  the 
same  localities  in  England  and  Europe  from  earliest 
times.  Kentish  growers  have  held  first  place  ever 
since  Parliament  legalized  this  industry  in  1554,  and 
while  the  area  under  hops  in  England  has  fluctuated 
materially  during  the  past  century,  the  crop  has  been 
confined  to  essentially  the  same  districts.  America  has 
witnessed  the  same  tendency  of  commercial  hop  grow- 
ing to  concentrate.  Though  introduced  into  the  New 

1 


THE   HOP. 


Netherlands  in  1629,  and  into  Virginia  about  1648,  and 
encouraged  by  special  legislation  until  1657,  hop  cul- 
ture has  assumed  importance  in  the  United  States  only 
since  1800.  As  the  industry  developed,  it  centered  in 
New  York  state,  though  many  hops  were  grown  in 
Wisconsin  after  the  Civil  war,  but  of  late  years  certain 
districts  on  the  Pacific  coast  have  proven  to  be  so 
adapted  to  this  crop  as  to  seriously  threaten  the  older 
established  hop  yards  on  both  sides  of  the  Atlantic. 

Hops  are  raised  for  family  and  medicinal  purposes 
in  other  states  of  America  and  other  countries,  but  the 
commercial  crop  is  now  nearly  confined  to  certain  lim- 
ited sections,  as  it  has  been  for  many  years,  the  modern 
development  on  the  Pacific  coast  excepted.  The  sta- 
tistical tables  in  the  appendix  show  that  the  average 
area  devoted  to  this  crop  during  the  closing  decade  of 
the  century  may  be  thus  roughly  stated : 


FOREIGN. 

Acres. 

AMERICAN. 

Acres. 

Germany  

100  000 

New  York 

25  000 

England  

55000 

California 

7  000 

Austria  

37,000 

Oregon  

15,000 

France  .  .  . 

7  000 

6  500 

Other  

11,000 

oilier  '...'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'. 

1,000 

Total  

210,000 

Total,  

54,500 

World's  average  aggregate  265,000  acres. 

FOREIGN   HOP    PLANTATIONS 

Germany — Although  this  country  produces  the 
bulk  of  the  hops  grown  on  the  continent,  the  number 
of  large  plantations  is  limited.  The  hops  are  grown 
usually  in  comparatively  small  fields,  and  in  many 
cases  in  small  garden  patches.  Hops  are  raised  by 
the  German  family  as  a  side  issue,  much  as  the  Ameri- 
can farmer's  family  raises  poultry.  The  culture  is 
largely  by  hand,  and  its  special  features  are  embodied 
in  subsequent  chapters  on  methods  of  culture,  along 
with  methods  used  by  English  and  American  grow- 
ers. Even  in  Bavaria,  the  principal  hop-producing 
section  of  Germany,  the  hop  yards  will  not  average 


ORIGIN  AND    SPREAD.  3 


much  over  one  or  two  acres  in  extent.  The  picking  is 
done  by  the  family;  in  bad  weather,  the  vines  are  cut 
and  taken  indoors  to  be  picked,  The  growers  do  not 
have  curing  houses,  but  sell  the  sun-dried  hops  to  the 
dealer,  who  attends  to  the  proper  curing  and  sulphur- 
ing. The  bulk  of  Germany's  crop  is  produced  in  Ba- 
varia, which  furnishes  one-half  or  more  of  the  empire's 
product.  Then  follow  in  order  of  importance  —  Wur- 
temberg,  Baden,  Posen,  Altmark  and  scattering  dis- 
tricts. Nuremberg  in  Bavaria  is  the  controlling  mar- 
ket for  German  hops,  although  hops  are  bought  by 
dealers  direct  from  growers  at  many  other  points. 

The  French  district  is  largely  confined  to  Alsace 
and  Lorraine,  now  German  provinces,  but  hops  are 
grown  to  a  considerable  extent  in  Burgundy  and 
Northern  France.  The  industry  is  decreasing  in  this 
section. 

In  Austria-Hungary,  attention  to  hop  culture  is  in- 
creasing slightly.  Special  grades  of  hops,  with  pecul- 
iar characteristics  that  give  them  a  fancy  value,  are 
grown  in  upper  Austria,  including  Galicia,  Styria, 
Silesia  and  Moravia,  also  further  south  in  Hungary. 
But  the  center  of  the  Austro-Hungarian  industry  is  in 
Bohemia,  where  between  25,000  and  30,000  acres  are 
usually  devoted  to  hops.  One-half  of  the  acreage  is 
located  in  the  Saatz  district,  the  hops  from  which  com- 
mand the  highest  prices  in  the  world's  market  —  two 
and  three  times  as  much  as  American  or  English  hops. 
The  quality  of  Bohemian  hops  is  carefully  safeguarded 
by  government,  which  has  established  technical  shools 
in  hop  culture  at  Rakonitz  and  Latin.  Besides  hop 
gardens  and  laboratories  for  scientific  work,  these 
schools  are  provided  with  an  elaborate  course  of  in- 
struction and  experimentation.  So  interesting  and  use- 
ful is  the  study  that  students  go  to  these  schools  from 
other  countries.  Every  bale  of  hops  produced  in  Bo- 
hemia must  be  officially  sealed  by  a  government  in- 


4  THE   HOP. 

spector,  which  insures  hops  of  true  grade  in  that  coun- 
try, but  does  not  prevent  the  adulteration  of  Bohemian 
hops  when  exported. 

Elsewhere.— In  Holland  and  Belgium,  the  acreage 
devoted  to  hops  has  been  reduced  until  these  crops  no 
longer  have  much  influence  on  market  values,  although 
several  thousand  acres  are  still  devoted  to  the  crop. 

In  Russia,  about  8000  acres  of  hops  were  formerly 
grown  in  Kieff  and  Yolhynia,  but  owing  to  a  heavy  re- 
duction in  duty  and  other  causes,  the  commercial  area 
has  been  reduced,  but  efforts  are  again  being  made  to 
widely  increase  the  industry  in  Russia.  The  scattered 
hop  fields  in  other  parts  of  Europe  are  too  insignificant 
to  be  mentioned. 

Australasia  has  for  years  had  less  than  2500  acres 
devoted  to  this  crop,  but  it  is  believed  that  the  industry 
is  capable  of  large  development  in  that  country. 

In  England,  about  two-thirds  of  the  usual  hop  area  is 
confined  to  Kent,  the  other  counties  being  in  order  of 
importance — Hereford,  Sussex,  Worcester,  Hants  and 
Surrey.  Following  the  period  of  high  prices,  the  Eng- 
lish crop  reached  a  total  extent  of  70,000  acres  in  1886, 
but  has  steadily  declined  to  around  50,000  acres  during 
the  closing  years  of  the  century. 

WHERE     HOPS    ARE    GROWN    IN    AMERICA 

New  York  State. — In  1808,  the  first  yard  was  set  out 
in  the  state  of  New  York  by  James  D.  Coolidge  at 
Madison.  The  demand  was  gradually  increasing,  and 
the  area  planted  to  hop  yards  or  small  plantations  was 
slowly  extended  where  the  conditions  of  climate  and 
soil  seemed  favorable.  The  quality  of  the  American 
hop  \vas  considered  by  the  brewers  in  those  days  as 
very  inferior,  and  the  prices  paid  for  them  were  much 
below  those  of  English  hops  that  were  imported. 
There  were  also  difficulties  in  delivering  the  crops  to 
market,  as  they  had  to  be  hauled  long  distances  by 


$erftte  patform  of  a 

Craming  t&e 


*  Jt  ffmlle  not  Be  amiffe  notoe  anu  t&en  to  pafle  t&rou($  pout  <2>atUeni 
in  eci?e  ^anue  a  for&en  toanDc ,  Direftgng  ad^t  Cucf)  I^oppe0  a0  tiecfrn* 
from  t^e  ipoale^*" 

0at5ering:  t&e  IJ)oppe. 


<4^Tutte  t|>em"  (the  hop  flalkes)  4<a  funtier  togt^a  (Barpe  £oo&e,ano  toft| 
ft  fotleD  Qaffe  ta&e  tf^cm  from  tf?c  I 


(5) 


6  THE   HOP. 

teams  of  oxen.  The  heavy  crops  grown,  2000  Ibs  to 
the  acre,  proved  profitable  even  at  the  low  prices  then 
obtained,  about  10  or  12  cents  per  pound. 

A  succession  of  bad  crops  in  England,  however, 
stimulated  the  industry,  especially  in  New  York  state, 
where  the  soil  in  some  sections  had  been  particularly 
adapted  to  hops.  The  first  actual  statistics  of  the  hop 
crop  of  the  United  States  were  for  the  year  1840,  when 
the  total  crop  was  estimated  at  6200  bales  of  200  Ibs., 
or  a  total  harvest  of  1,240,000  Ibs.,  of  which  two-thirds 
were  grown  in  the  New  England  states  and  one-third 
in  New  York.  During  the  next  ten  years  the  hop  in- 
dustry nearly  trebled  in  extent,  the  entire  crop  of  the 
country  being  3,497,000  Ibs.  in  1849,  or  17,500  bales, 
of  which  New  York  state  raised  five-sevenths,  New- 
England  producing  only  a  little  more  than  700,000  Ibs. 
that  year,  with  scattering  lots  in  Illinois,  Indiana, 
Michigan,  Missouri,  Pennsylvania  and  Wisconsin. 

During  the  ensuing  decade  the  hop  crop  of  the 
United  States  again  trebled  in  quantity,  the  total  yield 
in  1859  being  about  55,000  bales,  of  which  New  York 
state  grew  seven-eighths,  Vermont  being  the  only  New 
England  state  to' '"stay  in  the  ring."  Between  1860  and 
1870,  the  increase  was  smaller,  150  per  cent.,  the  crop 
of  1869  amounting  to  127,000  bales,  of  which  New 
York  state  produced  97,500  bales.  Western  competi- 
tion, low  prices  and  poor  crops  now  conspired  to  re- 
duce New  York's  hop  area  until  the  federal  census  of 
1890  showed  that  this  state  produced  only  about  half 
the  nation's  hops.  The  proportion  of  America's  crop 
now  grown  in  the  Empire  state  is  still  less,  and  the 
future  will  show  whether  this  crop,  like  so  many  others, 
is  to  go  entirely  west.  The  principal  hop  counties  of 
New  York  state  have  stood  for  years  in  this  order  of 
importance:  Otsego,  Madison,  Oneida,  Schoharie, 
Franklin,  Montgomery,  Ontario. 

In  New  York  state,  dairying  and  hop  growing  are 


8  $wftte  patform  of  a 

fiDf  ramming  of  poales. 


11  tjfren  toitl)  a  peece  of  tooofce  a0  bigge  belotoe  ao  t!?c  creat  enue  oC  one  ot 
youre  IPoalw,  ramme  t?)c  eattf?  t^at  lierl?  at  t&e  outf ptie  of 

Cutting  ?)oppe  Kootes* 


rcunu  about/' 


pou  pull  Dotnne  pour  |)pire0  .  .  .  pou  ftouto  untieimine  tprm 


ing  of  ^oppes  to 


4*  3K3{)cn  pour  boppc 0  are  crotonc  about  one  or  ttoo  foote  I;i0!j,  brnUe  up 
(toit&  a  rufte  or  a  craffe)  fuel)  as  Uecline  from  t&e  jpoalca,  topnDinfl  t^cm  aa 
often  about  t&e  fame  ipoales  as  pou  can,  anu  tiireainfl  them  altoarw  accoruma 
co  tj)c  courfe  of  tpe  Sunne/' 

(7) 


8  THE   HOP. 

generally  combined,  the  manure  from  the  cattle  being 
needed  to  fertilize  the  hop  roots.  Hop  growing  often 
proves  a  failure  with  small  growers,  owing  partly  to 
disease  and  parasites  and  partly  to  low  prices.  The 
small  grower  also  is  occupied  with  other  crops  and  has 
not  time  to  give  as  much  care  and  attention  to  the  hop 
yards  as  they  deserve,  the  plant  being  prompt  to  resent 
any  neglect.  It  is  in  the  small  yards  that  lack  of  culti- 
vation is  so  common,  together  with  carelessness  in 
tending  the  crop,  looking  after  the  poles,  or  tying  the 
vines.  The  largest  yard  in  New  York  state  is  that  of 
James  F.  Clark,  whose  yard,  near  Cooperstown,  covers 
150  acres,  which  are  always  brought  to  a  high  state  of 
cultivation.  Waterville,  Cooperstown  and  Schoharie 
are  the  market  centers  for  New  York  state  hops. 

Wisconsin  embarked  in  hop  culture  in  the  early 
sixties,  and  by  1869  the  federal  census  showed  a  crop  of 
25,000  bales.  This  has  never  since  been  equaled  or 
exceeded.  Ten  years  later,  Wisconsin  produced  less 
than  half  that  quantity  of  hops,  and  since  then  its 
product  has  steadily  diminished,  never  exceeding  half 
a  million  pounds.  The  crop  has  been  reduced  by  lice, 
and  comparatively'  few  growers  gave  it  the  attention 
bestowed  upon  hops  in  New  York.  Wisconsin  plan- 
tations are  now  confined  to  a  few  large  yards  of  from 
10  to  TOO  acres,  less  than  1,000  acres  being  devoted  to 
the  crop  and  often  but  a  fraction  of  the  area  is  worth 
picking. 

California  led  off  in  the  introduction  of  hop  culture 
to  the  Pacific  coast.  Daniel  Flint  brought  the  first 
hops  into  the  Golden  state,  in  1857,  from  Vermont. 
He  persisted  in  their  culture  almost  alone  until  the  leg- 
islature of  1863  voted  him  $1000  as  a  reward  for  dem- 
onstrating the  possibilities  of  this  new  crop  in  the  Sac- 
ramento valley.  From  8000  bales  in  1869,  the  California 
crop  has  jumped  to  some  50,000  bales,  grown  on  some 
7500  acres,  compared  to  noo  acres  in  1879.  Tne 


ORIGIN   AND    SPREAD.  9 

largest  hop  plantations  in  the  world  are  along  the  rich 
alluvial  bottom  lands  of  the  Sacramento,  Russian  and 
Feather  rivers  in  California.  The  size  of  a  hop  farm 
in  that  state  ranges  all  the  way  from  10  to  300  acres, 
the  latter  being  the  size  of  the  Pleasanton  plantation, 
Alameda  county,  where  at  harvest  time  as  many  as 
1500  to  2000  pickers  are  employed.  The  principal  hop 
growing  counties  are  Sonoma,  Sacramento,  Mendo- 
cino,  Alameda,  Yolo,  Yuba,  San  Joaquin. 

Oregon's  commercial  hop  industry  dates  from 
about  1880,  and  has  been  characterized  by  wide  fluctu- 
ations in  area  devoted  to  the  crop,  likewise  in  yield  and 
quality.  These  violent  changes  are  due  partly  to  the 
fact  that  on  these  rich  soils  hop  cuttings  planted  in 
spring  will  yield  800  to  1200  Ibs.  of  cured  hops  in  the 
fall,  while  in  New  York  state  no  crop  is  expected  until 
the  second  year,  and  not  much  until  the  third  season 
from  planting,  while  in  England  and  on  the  continent, 
four  years  from  planting  are  required  for  a  full  crop. 
This  apparent  advantage  has  operated  to  the  detriment 
rather  than  to  the  benefit  of  the  Pacific  coast,  especially 
in  Oregon  and  Washington,  because  it  has  led  to  hop 
planting  by  inexperienced  persons,  or  to  the  setting  out 
of  larger  plantations  than  the  owners  could  properly 
operate  except  by  incurring  heavy  mortgages.  Low 
prices  following  overproduction  have  therefore  ruined 
a  larger  proportion  of  those  who  went  into  hops  on  the 
Pacific  coast  than  in  any  other  part  of  the  world.  The 
industry  in  Oregon  is  now  confined  to  the  counties 
west  of  the  Cascade  mountains,  centering  mainly  in 
Marion,  Polk,  Clackamas,  Yamhill  and  Washington 
counties. 

In  Washington,  conditions  are  much  similar  to 
those  in  the  neighboring  state  of  Oregon.  Although 
hops  are  being  increasingly  grown  in  the  Yakima  val- 
ley east  of  the  Cascades,  and  to  a  very  limited  extent  in 
the  valley  of  the  Columbia,  Spokane  and  Snake  rivers, 


10 


THE    HOP. 


the  industry  has    long    centered    in    King  and  Pierce 
counties,  in  the  rich  plains  and  valleys  running  down  t< 


FIO.   1.      A  THREE  HUNDRED    ACRE    HOP    FIELD     NEARLY    READY 
TO  PICK. 

This  is  one  of  the  largest  blocks  of  hops  grown  in  one  field  anywhere  in  the 
world.    It  is  at  Pleasauton,  Cal. 

the  inland  sea.     Lewis  county,  Southern  Washington, 
is  also  becoming  quite  a  hop  center.     The  statistics  in 


ORIGIN   AND    SPREAD.  11 

the  appendix  show  the  marked  variations  that  have 
characterized  the  areas  and  yield. 

FUTURE  OF  THE  HOP  INDUSTRY 

The  World's  Supply  of  hops,  it  will  be  seen,  comes 
mainly  from  the  United  States,  England  and  Germany. 
Great  Britain  imports  an  average  of  125,000  bales  of 
hops  yearly,"  of  which  65,000  come  from  the  United 
States  and  the  balance  from  Europe.  Germany  ex- 
ports about  130,000  bales  per  year,  and  imports  some 
20,000  bales;  about  50,000  bales  of  her  exports  go  to 
Great  Britain,  the  balance  to  other  European  countries 
and  to  the  United  States.  The  limitation  of  the  world's 
market  for  hops  is  therefore  clearly  defined. 

The  appendix  tables  show  how  both  area  and  yield 
are  fluctuating,  and  throw  a  flood  of  light  on  the  pos- 
sible monopoly  of  the  world's  hop  market  by  the 
United  States,  and  especially  by  our  Pacific  coast 
states.  The  author  believes  such  monopoly  .to  be  pos- 
sible, at  least  to  the  extent  of  the  United  States  produc- 
ing the  largest  share  of  the  world's  consumption.  To 
that  end,  this  book  is  written.  But  if  the  United 
States  is  to  achieve  that  distinction,  it  will  be  by  im- 
proving the  quality  of  American  hops  until  they  are  the 
best  in  the  world  and  by  producing  them  at  less  cost 
than  they  can  be  grown  elsewhere. 

The  steady  increase  in  the  consumption  of  hops  is 
also  apparent  from  the  statistical  appendix.  While  the 
figures  are  not  as  perfect  as  desirable,  because  of  the 
obvious  difficulty  of  collecting  full  returns,  they  dem- 
onstrate a  constant  growth  in  the  demand  for  hops. 
Substitutes  and  adulterants  check  the  use  of  hops  to  a 
considerable  extent,  especially  in  seasons  of  scarcity, 
and  constitute  an  evil  that  must  be  suppressed.  The 
main  reliance  of  the  hop  grower  is  the  brewers'  de- 
mand. The  consumption  of  beer,  already  enormous, 
has  increased  astonishingly  of  late  years,  and  bids  fair 


12  THE   HOP 

to  continue  to  do  so.  Throughout  the  world  the  ten- 
dency seems  to  be  to  replace  the  heavy  beverages  and 
injurious  liquors  with  the  lighter  wines  and  beer. 
Brewing  makes  a  product  so  much  cheaper 
than  wine  that  beer  is  destined  to  hold  first  place  until 
humanity  reaches  the  stage  in  its  evolution  that  is  char- 
acterized by  total  abstinence. 

An  increasing  demand  being  thus  assured,  an- 
other favorable  influence  is  the  fact  that  the  value  of 
this  crop  is  of  late  years  being  more  governed  by  the 
law  of  supply  and  demand  than  formerly.  The  increas- 
ing efficiency  of  the  crop  reporting  service,  especially 
that  conducted  by  American  Agriculturist  in  co-opera- 
tion with  hop  growers,  has  done  something  to  mitigate 
the  gambling  that  has  characterized  the  selling  of  hops. 
Much  more  could  be  done  to  place  the  industry  on  a 
safer  commercial  basis,  as  suggested  in  the  chapter  on 
marketing,  but  it  will  require  years  of  effort  to  educate 
growers  up  to  the  co-operation  needed  to  accomplish 
this  purpose. 

In  spite  of  the  peculiarities  of  the  plant  and  of  the 
hop  industry,  as  set  forth  in  Chapters  II  and  III,  the 
hop  for  many  years  will  continue  to  be  an  agricultural 
specialty  that  will  yield  profits  according  to  the  judg- 
ment employed  in  its  culture  and  sale. 


FIG.  2.     COMMENCEMENT  OF  POLE  STACK. 


CHAPTER  II 

PECULIARITIES    OF    THE    INDUSTRY 


HE  hop  industry  may  be  re-  ' 
garded  as  a  very  peculiar  one 
in  many  respects.  The  area 
upon  which  hops  can  be 
grown  is  limited,  owing  to 
peculiarities  and  necessary 
conditions  of  soil  and  cli- 
mate, not  only  in  this  coun- 
try, but  throughout  the 
world.  Unfavorable  weather 
at  the  critical  period  of  hop 

development  may  almost  ruin  in  a  few  days  what  had 
promised  to  be  a  crop  large  in  quantity  and  fine  in 
quality.  Earlier  in  the  season,  lice  and  other  pests  may 
cause  such  injury  that,  even  with  ordinarily  favorable 
weather,  the  plant  may  not  fully  recuperate  and  the 
yield  will  be  poor. 

These  risks  are  more  serious  with  hops  than  with 
almost  any  other  plant.  Add  the  dangers  usual  to  all 
husbandry  from  drouths,  wind,  flood,  frost,  etc.,  and  it 
will  be  seen  that  on  a  given  area  the  product  and  qual- 
ity of  hops  may  vary  more  widely  from  year  to  year 
than  is  the  case  with  almost  any  other  crop.  If,  in 
addition  to  these  conditions,  the  area  devoted  to  hops 
should  be  suddenly  enlarged;  or,  on  the  other  hand,  if 
considerable  areas  should  not  be  harvested,  owing  to 
poor  crops  or  low  prices,  wide  fluctuations  may  occur 
in  the  supply  and  quality  of  hops.  These  factors  make 
it  difficult  to  collect  exact  data  about  the  production 
of  hops,  even  with  the  co-operation  of  growers.  The 

13 


14 


THE  HOP. 


FIG.    3.   A  NEW  YORK  HOP  YARD. 

Trained  on  long  poles  and  cross  strings. 


PECULIARITIES   OF   THE   INDUSTRY.  15 

absence  of  organization  among  growers  in  America, 
and  a  still  worse  condition  in  this  respect  in  England 
and  on  the  continent,  adds  to  the  uncertainty  of  even 
the  best  efforts  to  ascertain  the  extent  of  the  new  crop. 
The  effect  of  these  natural  influences  that  favor 
fluctuating  supplies  and  prices,  is  heightened  by  arti- 
ficial conditions.  The  movement  of  hops,  as  shown  by 
actual  shipments,  and  by  imports  and  exports,  fails  to 
reveal  the  extent  of  old  stocks  in  hands  of  dealers  or 
brewers.  Under  ideal  conditions,  hops  can  be  kept  in 
cold  storage  for  months  without  losing  their  virtue  to 
any  great  extent.  Breweries  are  now  equipped  with 
cold  storage  for  this  purpose,  and  brewers  usually 
make  it  a  practice  to  stock  up  liberally  when  prices  are 
low,  but  as  practiced  cold  storage  is  not  proving  a  suc- 
cess. The  quantity  of  hops  used  per  barrel  of  beer 
varies  in  different  breweries  to  such  an  extent  as  to 
afford  but  a  shaky  basis  for  computing  consumption  on 
output  of  beer.  It  is  asserted  by  some  that  fewer  hops 
per  barrel  of  beer  are  now  used  than  formerly,  while 
others  claim  to  the  contrary.  It  is  now  customary  in 
the  American  trade  to  estimate  one  pound  of  hops  to  be 
used  for  each  barrel  of  beer,  against  one  and  one-half 
pounds  twenty  years  ago,  but  this  is  somewhat  arbi- 
trary. When  hops  are  dear,  less  is  used  per  barrel 
than  when  cheap,  the  deficiency  being  made  good  by 
hop  extract  or  substitutes. 

While  the  supply  and  the  uncertainty  about  it  thus 
fluctuates,  the  demand  is  fairly  constant  in  comparison. 
Except  in  so  far  as  substitutes  are  used,  the  demand  for 
hops  is  regulated  by  the  consumption  of  beer,  the 
quantity  used  for  medicinal  or  household  purposes 
really  playing  no  part  in  the  commercial  question  of 
supply  and  demand.  As  the  consumption  of  beer  is 
largest  in  Europe,  where  the  population  is  most  set- 
tled, it  is  not  liable  to  sudden  increases  or  decreases, 
and  may  be  estimated  with  a  very  fair  degree  of  accu- 


16  THE  HOP. 

racy  year  in  and  year  out.  In  America,  however, 
owing  no  doubt  to  the  more  sudden  growth  of  our  for- 
eign population,  the  consumption  of  beer  has  increased 
more  than  in  Europe.  The  world's  steady  increase  in 
beer  consumption  indicates  that  the  demand  for  hops 
is  not  likely  to  vary  to  any  great  extent,  such  as  would 
warrant  the  planting  of  a  much  larger  area  in  those 
sections  where  climate  and  soil  have  been  found  suit- 
able for  hop  cultivation. 

Even  additional  taxation  of  beer  has  not  materially 
restricted  consumption  in  the  past  and  is  not  likely  to 
in  the  future.  Duties  on  hops  would  affect  their  value 
more  than  taxes  on  beer,  yet  the  world's  supply  of  hops 
must  in  the  long  run  govern  prices.  In  a  year  of  short 
crops  in  the  United  States,  a  tariff  of  fifteen  cents  per 
pound  on  imported  hops  would  be  of  more  benefit  to 
domestic  producers  than  a  duty  of  eight  cents;  in  a 
season  of  domestic  overproduction,  the  higher  rate 
would  not  much  influence  the  price  of  domestic  hops, 
except  possibly  the  fancy  brands.  In  either  case,  the 
higher  duty  would  not  affect  the  price  of  beer,  and 
therefore  a  moderately  stiff  tariff  on  imported  hops  is 
a  good  thing  for  American  growers.  But  as  "the  for- 
eigner pays  the  tariff  tax,"  it  would  be  bad  for  hop 
growers  outside  of  England  if  the  British  Parliament 
should  impose  a  high  duty  on  hops  imported  into  Great 
Britain,  which  is  the  market  for  the  world's  surplus 
of  hops. 

It  is  fortunate  that  the  hop  area  throughout  the 
world  is  limited,  because,  with  an  increased  area  avail- 
able, the  temptation  would  be  such,  in  seasons  of  high 
prices,  as  to  induce  farmers  to  increase  their  acreage 
so  as  to  thoroughly  demoralize  the  market  and  depress 
prices  to  a  point  that  would  cause  a  loss  to  all  growers. 
Such  a  condition  has  been  experienced  already  more 
than  once.  Then,  again,  the  failure  of  the  hop  crop  in 
Europe  has  caused  a  heavy  shortage  in  supply,  with 


PECULIARITIES   OF   THE   INDUSTRY, 


18  THE   HOP. 

an  extra  demand  for  hops  of  American  growth,  for 
which  abnormal  and  unhealthy  prices  have  been  paid, 
—unhealthy  because  they  gave  a  temporary  fictitious 
value  to  a  staple  crop,  values  which  growers  cannot 
with  any  show  of  reason  or  certainty  expect  to  realize 
once  in  ten  or  twenty  years.  Yet  the  very  fact  that 
such  a  price  as  $i  per  pound  has  been  paid  for  hops 
grown  in  this  country,  has  stimulated  farmers  to  largely 
increase  their  area  and  even  to  plant  hops  in  locations 
that  are  not  naturally  adapted  to  their  successful 
growth.  The  result,  of  course,  has  always  been  an 
oversupply  with  a  heavy,  dull,  dragging  market  during 
several  years,  when  dealers  secured  the  crops  at  their 
own  prices,  which  were  not  enough  to  pay  the  farmer 
for  the  actual  cost  of  production.  These  periods  of 
overproduction  were  followed  by  the  destruction  of 
plantations,  with  a  consequent  loss  of  time  and  money, 
till  the  market  readjusted  itself  and  became  more  set- 
tled. Then,  again,  the  temptation  arises  to  increase 
the  production. 

The  wide  fluctuations  in  the  price  of  hops  in  the 
past  are  therefore  easily  accounted  for.  The  most  sen- 
sational was  the  advance  to  $i  and  over  per  pound  of 
the  American  crop  in  the  fall  of  1882,  and  a  decline  to 
5c  per  pound  three  years  later.  Prices  have  since  cov- 
ered a  wide  range  every  season,  though  not  to  so 
marked  an  extent  as  in  the  instance  cited.  The  crop  of 
1893  was  comparatively  short  as  a  whole,  following 
only  medium  crops  for  two  or  three  years  previous. 
This  led  to  an  increased  acreage;  with  favorable 
weather  the  next  two  crops  were  the  largest  on  record, 
and  prices  of  the  1895  crop  fell  fully  as  low  as  ten  years 
earlier.  Growers  seemed  to  have  forgotten  the  lesson 
of  the  early  '8o's  and  made  the  same  mistake  a  decade 
later.  In  this,  however,  the  hop  planter  is  no  different 
from  other  people,  for  humanity  has  continued  to  make 
the  same  mistake  generation  after  generation. 


PECULIARITIES   OF   THE   INDUSTRY.  19 

"The  hop  industry  is  a  gamble,"  has  therefore 
come  to  be  an  axiom.  Yet  with  all  its  uncertainties 
this  saying  is  not  exactly  true.  Men  who  most  per- 
fectly understand  the  crop  and  most  prudently  allow 
for  its  uncertainties,  have  kept  right  along  raising  hops 
year  after  year,  aiming  at  marketing  about  an  even 
quantity  of  nice  goods  each  season,  and  have  found 
the  industry  rather  more  profitable  in  the  end  than  any 
other  crop  grown  in  their  neighborhood.  It  is  fair  to 
say  that  such  men  are  a  minority,  and  that  the  majority 
of  American  hop  planters  during  the  past  forty  years 
have  quit  hop  growing  poorer  than  when  they  began. 

Much  can  be  done  to  reduce  the  artificial  uncer- 
tainties in  the  hop  industry,  also  to  mitigate  the  natural 
causes  of  variation.  One  object  of  this  book  is  to  set 
forth  how  this  can  be  done,  and  thus  to  place  the  whole 
hop  industry  on  a  surer  basis. 

USES    OF    THE    HOP 

The  manufacture  of  beer  and  ale  consumes  prob- 
ably 95  per  cent,  or  more  of  the  world's  production  of 
hops.  The  oil  from  hops  (that  is,  from  the  strobiles) 
is  used  for  medicinal  purposes.  A  decoction  of  hops 
is  used  in  medicine  for  their  tonic  effect.  Hops  also 
have  a  sedative  action,  and  are  prescribed  for  derange- 
ments of  the  digestive  organs  attended  by  nervous 
irritability.  The  hop  extract  or  lupulin  kept  in  drug 
stores  is  preferred  to  the  decoction  for  medicinal  use. 
For  hot  applications  to  the  body,  nothing  will  retain 
heat  or  is  more  convenient  for  this  purpose  than  a  bag 
or  compress  of  hops.  For  a  variety  of  purposes,  in 
household  medicine,  the  hop  is  indispensable  and 
widely  used,  as  well  as  for  yeast.  Hops  are  prepared 
with  a  strong  decoction  of  hops,  oatmeal  and  water, 
and  make  an  excellent  remedy  for  ulcers,  which  should 
first  be  fomented  with  the  decoction.  A  hop  bath  to 
relieve  pain  has  also  been  recommended  by  physicians 


THE   HOP. 


8 

B 


- 
O 

w 


B 

P 


4 

1C 


PECULIARITIES    OF   THE    INDUSTRY.  21 

for  certain  painful  internal  diseases,  made  by  boiling 
two  pounds  of  hops  in  two  gallons  of  water  for  half  an 
hour,  then  strain  and  press  and  add  the  fluid  to  about 
thirty  gallons  of  hot  water.  A  pillow  of  hops  induces 
sleep.  Hop  tea  is  said  to  be  good  for  the  blood  and 
for  fever. 

The  hop  root  contains  much  starchy  matter  and 
considerable  tannin,  but  has  never  been  utilized  for 
these  substances.  The  root  has  been  used  as  a  substi- 
tute for  sarsaparilla.  The  tender  shoots,  taken  when 
they  just  appear  above  ground,  are  cooked  and  eaten 
like  asparagus  or  greens,  making  a  dainty  bitter  relish, 
if  the  soil  has  been  worked  up  so  that  the  shoot  is  white 
for  a  foot  or  more.  Hop  buds  are  also  used  as  a  salad. 
The  stem  of  the  hop  plant  contains  a  vegetable  wax 
and  sap  from  which  can  be  made  a  durable  reddish 
brown.  Its  ash  is  used  in  the  manufacture  of  Bohe- 
mian glass,  and  the  vine  also  makes  an  excellent  pulp 
for  paper.  From  its  fiber,  ropes  and  coarse  textile 
fabrics  of  considerable  strength  have  been  made.  To 
make  hop  cloth  the  stalks  are  cut,  done  up  in  bundles 
and  steeped  like  hemp,  then  dried  in  the  sun,  and 
beaten  with  mallets  to  loosen  the  fibers,  which  are 
afterward  carded  and  woven  in  the  usual  way.  Excel- 
lent paper  and  cardboard  can  be  made  from  hop  vines 
or  roots,  or  from  spent  hops,  and  there  are  various 
patents  and  processes  for  such  products.  The  vine 
being  hollow,  it  is  often  used  by  boys  for  smoking  pur- 
poses or  as  stems  for  pipes. 

Hop  vines  are  usually  burned  after  the  crop  is 
gathered,  but  if  pressed  into  stacks  or  pits  while  still 
green  they  make  an  ensilage  that  is  good  feed  for  cat- 
tle. In  France,  the  fresh  hop  leaves  are  also  saved  and 
fed  with  other  forage  to  cattle.  Valuable  experience 
on  this  point  is  afforded  by  T.  M.  Hopkins  of  Worces- 
ter, England,  who  writes:  "In  October,  I  made  two 
stacks  of  hop  vines  16  by  16  feet  and  18  feet  high.  After 


22  T&E   HOP. 

letting  it  ferment  freely  it  was  pressed  down  with  a 
screw  press  and  the  next  day  was  filled  up  again,  and 
when  sufficiently  fermented,  again  pressed  down,  this 
process  being  repeated  all  through  the  hop  picking. 
By  March  I  had  used  nearly  the  whole  of  it,  and  calcu- 
late it  saved  me  some  80  tons  of  hay.  My  horses  have 
had  nothing  else  for  two  months,  excepting  their  usual 
allowance  of  corn,  and  I  have  never  had  them  looking 
better.  I  have  also  had  100  head  of  cattle, — stores,  cows 
and  calves, — feeding  on  it,  and  they  do  well,  the  flow  of 
milk  being  increased.  Dr.  Voelcker  has  analyzed  it 
and  says  it  contains  plenty  of  good  material,  is  decid- 
edly rich  in  nitrogen,  nor  is  the  amount  of  organic  acid 
excessive  or  likely  to  harm  cattle.  Another  chemist 
says  it  contains  more  flesh-forming  matter  and  less 
indigestible  fiber  than  hay.  Planters  shcgjld  leave  off 
selling  hops  at  a  loss,  but  let  the  plant  run  wild,  and 
they  may  every  season  cut  two  or  three  immense  crops 
of  material  that  will  make  silage  of  unexceptionable 
quality." 


CHAPTER  III 

CHARACTERISTICS    OF    THE    PLANT 

HERE  is  but  one  species 
of  hop,  Humulus  lupulus 
though  there  are  several 
varieties.  The  hop  plant  is 
naturally  dioecious;  that  is, 
the  male  (staminate)  and 
female  (pistillate)  flowers 
'occur  on  different  plants. 
Occasionally  in  a  hop  yard 
will  be  found  what  is  called 
a  hermaphrodite  or  bastard 

hop,  with  staminate  and  pistillate  flowers  on  the  same 
vine;  the  hop  is  not  over  half  size,  deformed,  and  is  sel- 
dom gathered.  Sometimes  there  will  benotoveronebas- 
tard  vine  to  the  acre,  then  there  will  be  a  dozen  in  half 
an  acre.  The  bastard  seems  to  be  dwarfed,  for  it  will 
go  only  one-half  to  two-thirds  up  its  support.  This 
sport  does  not  seem  to  be  permanent,  for  it  seldom 
occurs  twice  in  the  same  place.  This  freak  usually 
occurs  near  a  male  vine,  and  there  the  female  vine  is 
so  overcharged  with  pollen  that  it  partakes  of  or  is  try- 
ing to  represent  the  two  genders  in  the  same  vine. 

The  hop  is  perennial;  once  started,  from  either 
root,  cuttings,  or  from  seed,  the  vine  comes  up  anew 
from  the  same  root  year  after  year.  The  hop  root  is 
of  a  tough,  leathery,  spongy,  porous  nature.  The  hop 
has  two  distinct  roots,  a  lower  and  an  upper  root,  or 
runners.  The  lower  roots  have  no  eyes  and  propa- 
gation cannot  take  place  from  them,  their  office  being 
to  sustain  the  plant.  The  upper  or  surface  roots  have 

23 


THE   HOP. 


i 


CHARACTERISTICS   OF   THE   PLANT. 

eyes  or  joints  every  four  to  six  inches,  their  office  be- 
ing mainly  for  propagation.  These  are  cut  into  pieces 
of  two  joints  about  six  or  eight  inches  long,  for 
planting. 

The  root  of  the  female  plant  is  the  lighter  colored 
of  the  two,  and  the  buds  or  eyes  are  more  blunt.  The 
male  root  is  of  a  darker  or  grayish  color,  and  the  buds 
or  eyes  are  more  pointed  and  of  a  reddish  or  purple 
color.  In  America,  a  male  root  is  planted  for  every 
100  female  hills;  in  England,  one  for  every  200  to  300 
hills;  in  Europe,  the  male  plant  is  not  countenanced. 

The  eyes  are  on  opposite  sides  of  every  joint  of 
the  root.  Each  joint  can  throw  out  from  six  to  a  dozen 
buds.  On  a  small  root  the  center  bud  starts  first,  while 
on  a  large  root,  half  a  dozen  buds  start  at  the  same 
time,  each  striving  for  the  mastery. 

Usually  the  vine  that  bears  the  hops  comes  out 
directly  above  the  crown,  but  a  surface  root  may  run 
under  the  ground  one  foot  or  two  feet,  and  then  come 
out  and  run  up  its  support  and  bear  hops.  These  vines, 
when  young  and  green  and  fresh,  can  be  layered,  cov- 
ered with  moist  earth,  and  they  will  grow  into  roots 
with  joints  and  eyes.  The  great  objection  to  layered 
roots  is  that  the  joints  will  be  too  long  and  not  as  de- 
sirable for  planting  as  the  runners  that  come  out  nat- 
urally with  shorter  joints.  From  four  to  twenty  or 
more  vines  will  come  out  of  every  vigorous  hill,  and 
after  selecting  the  desired  number  of  the  best  for  tying, 
the  rest  are  destroyed  and  kept  down  by  cutting  or 
covering  with  earth. 

The  vines  are  put  on  the  strings  or  poles  when 
about  two  feet  long.  Vines  have  to  be  put  around  the 
poles  and  tied  with  a  string,  but  when  strings  are  used 
to  guide  them  to  the  wire  trellis,  it  is  only  necessary 
to  twine  the  vine  around  the  string  a  couple  of  times, 
when  by  its  innumerable  little  hooks  on  its  six  sides 
it  will  require  no  more  attention  unless  shaken  off  by 


26  THE   HOP. 

some  violent  motion,  or  by  a  continuous  wind  for  sev- 
eral days.  Should  a  three  days'  wind  blow  the  vine  off 
from  the  perpendicular  string  to  the  extent  of  a  foot 
or  eighteen  inches,  if  the  wind  goes  down  at  night, 
every  vine  will  be  found  clinging  to  the  string  in  the 


FIG.  7.    BRANCH  OF  MALE  (staminate)  HOP  VINE. 

Reduced  in  size,  and  showing  at  the  lower  left-hand  corner  a  single  flower  of 
the  natural  size. 

morning,  having  caught  on  again  by  their  spiral  or  re- 
volving motion. 

Vines  have  to  be  put  around  horizontal  strings  or 
wires  by  hand.  When  left  to  their  own  inclination, 
they  will  grow  upward  until  they  become  so  long  and 
heavy  they  will  fall  down  and  have  to  be  replaced  on 


CHARACTERISTICS   OF   THE   PLANT.  27 

their  support.  The  end  of  the  vine  during  the  growing 
season, — say  from  one  to  two  feet, — is  very  tender  in 
the  morning,  and  is  easily  broken;  in  the  afternoon  it 
will  stand  more  careless  handling  without  breaking. 
If  the  end  of  a  vine  is  broken  off  in  the  growing  season, 
the  next  joint  will  throw  out  two. vines  and  soon  catch 
up  with  the  original  vine  and  bear  just  as  many  hops, 
but  the  arms* from  the  second  joint  are  best. 

The  vine  when  climbing  a  perpendicular  support 
alwrays  winds  with  the  sun,  from  left  to  right,  or  with  the 


FIG.   8.      FEMALE  VINE,   SHOWING  FLOWERS. 

hands  of  a  clock;  other  kinds  of  vines  mostly  climb 
in  the  opposite  direction,  which  is,  perhaps,  why  the 
patent  office  years  ago  granted  a  patent  to  a  man  who 
claimed  to  have  ''invented"  the  hop's  habit  of  winding 
from  left  to  right.  The  hop  vine  is  hollow,  six-sided, 
and  has  six  rows  of  small,  sharp  hooks.  These  hooks 
are  especially  sharp  on  the  tendrils,  enabling  the  latter 
to  cling  fast,  so  that  the  plant  can  climb  rapidly. 

The  hop  vine  has  two  motions.  The  first  motion 
is  a  twist  of  the  vine  from  right  to  left,  the  reverse  of 
the  sun  and  clock  hands.  The  second  motion  is  a 


28  THE   HOP. 

spiral  or  revolving  motion,  with  the  sun,  which  winds 
the  vine  around  its  support.  Whenever  a  vine  is 
changed  from  a  perpendicular  to  a  horizontal  position, 
the  twist  in  the  vine  changes,  or  reverses,  and  twists 
with  the  sun.  The  instinct  of  a  hop  vine  seems  to  be 
to  follow  a  perpendicular  position,  and  it  cannot  be 
made  to  follow  an  angle  less  than  forty  five  degrees 
without  artificial  means. 


FIG.   9.      BRANCH  OF  FEMALE  HOPS. 

A  hop  vine  is  one  of  the  most  ambitious  of  nature's 
climbers.  It  will  go  to  the  top  of  its  support,  if  20  to  30 
feet  high,  and  the  hops  will  be  on  the  extreme  end, 
while  none  will  be  within  10  to  15  feet  of  the  ground. 
When  a  shorter  support  is  used,  the  arms  will  hang 
nearly  to  the  ground,  loaded  with  hops.  The  vine  ex- 


CHARACTERISTICS   OF  THE   PLANT.  29 

panels  in  diameter  when  four  to  six  feet  from  the 
ground,  where  it  will  be  nearly  double  the  size  it  is 
one  foot  from  the  ground. 

The  leaves  of  the  hop  vine  are  irregular  in  size 
and  conformation;  the  larger  are  usually  three  to  five 
lobed,  the  smaller  heart-shaped.  There  is  no  fixed  char- 
acteristic difference  in  foliage  between  varieties. 

The  flowers  are  very  numerous  on  both  male  and 
female  plants.  The  male  flowers  are  in  loose  clusters, 
as  shown  at  Fig.  7,  of  a  yellowish  green  color,  with  a 
five-pointed  calyx  and  five  stamens.  The  male  plant 
produces  the  pollen,  which,  carried  by  the  wind  or  by 
bees  or  insects  to  the  pistil  of  the  female  flower,  ferti- 
lizes the  latter  so  that  it  can  produce  seed.  Unless 


FIG;   10.      GRAINS   OF  LUPULIN. 
V*f>         Highly  magnified. 

there  are  a  sufficient  number  of  male  plants  (say  one  to 
every  100  female  roots),  no  seed  will  be  produced.  The 
male  vine  bears  no  hops.  The  male  flower  in  bloom 
produces  a  very  fine  flour  called  pollen.  This  pollen 
can  be  seen  in  the  morning,  when  the  light  is  just  right, 
by  vibrating  the  male  vine  and  looking  toward  the 
sun.  It  looks  like  the  dust  in  the  rays  of  the  sun  when 
passing  through  a  knot  hole. 

The  female  plants,  only,  produce  hops.  The  single 
cone  of  hops  is  botanically  called  a  strobile,  and  con- 
sists of  a  series  of  scales  or  bracts  and  their  fruit.  The 


30  THE  HOP. 

female  flowers  are  borne  at  the  base  of  these  scales, 
which  are  arranged  in  close  clusters  on  a  short  stem. 
When  in  blossom,  the  young  hop  will  be  found  to  be 
a  collection  of  very  simple  flowers,  each  consisting  of 
a  single  pistil  surrounded  by  a  sort  of  membranous 
covering,  and  one  of  these  is  placed  at  the  base  of  a 
small  scale,  which,  as  the  hop  ripens,  increases  very 
much  in  size,  and  collectively  becomes  the  most  con- 
spicuous part  of  the  cluster  of  fruit  or  hops,  Fig.  9. 
The  fruit,  botanically  speaking,  is  the  ripened  pistil, 
which  is  a  small  nut  that  incloses  a  single  seed.  Upon 
the  inner  side  of  the  scales,  and  around  the  fruit,  are 


FIG.  11.      FEMALE  CLUSTER,  FIG.  12.      SINGLE  FEMALE 

NEWLY  SET.  FLOWER. 

6,  Hop  cluster.  «,  Pistils;  b,  scales;  c,  single  seed  with 

its  scales. 

found  numerous  yellow  grains  which  are  peculiar 
glands;  and,  though  they  are  produced  only  in  the  pis- 
tillate plant,  they  are  often  incorrectly  called  the  pollen. 
These  grains  are  called  lupulin,  and  sometimes  "lup- 
ulinic  glands"  and  "flour  of  the  hop." 

The  female  flowers  are  in  the  form  of  a  catkin, 
having  each  pair  of  flowers  supported  by  a  bract,  which 
is  ovate-acute,  tubular  at  base.  Sepal  solitary,  obtuse, 
smaller  than  the  bract,  and  enfolding  the  ovary.  Ovary 
roundish,  compressed;  stigmas  (the  terminals  of  the 
pistils)  two,  long  subulate,  downy.  The  bracts  enlarge 
into  a  persistent  catkin  (hop),  each  bract  enclosing  a 


CHARACTERISTICS   OF  THE   PLANT.  31 

nut  enveloped  in  its  permanent  bractlet,  and  several 
grains  of  yellow  lupulin. 

The  leaves  on  the  strobile  or  hop  point  outward 
and  look  rough  until  the  pistil  has  been  properly  ferti- 
lized with  pollen  from  the  male  plant,  when  they  close 
down  and  become  smooth,  four-sided  cones.  If  no 
staminate  or  male  hops  are  in  the  yard  or  vicinity,  the 
points  of  the  leaves  will  point  outward,  giving  the  hop 
a  rough  and  imperfect  appearance. 

SEEDLESS    VERSUS     SEED    HOPS. 

Whether  male  plants  are  an  advantage  or  a  disad- 
vantage to  the  hops  of  commerce,  has  long  been  dis- 
puted. It  is  not  necessary  that  the  female  hop  should 
make  seed  in  order  to  maintain  the  strength  and  vigor 
of  the  plant,  although  the  contrary  opinion  is  much 


FIG.  13.      CROSS-SECTIONAL  LONGITUDINAL  VIEW  OF  FEMALE  HOP. 

held.  Indeed,  continuous  ripening  of  seed  is  one  of 
the  most  serious  drains  on  the  vitality  of  hop  roots. 
Plump  seeds  comprise  about  10  per  cent,  of  the  weight 
of  the  cured  hops.  Hence,  from  the  standpoint  of  the 
seller,  they  are  not  to  be  discarded  without  good 
reason.  This  matter  has  been  laboriously  investigated 
by  German  scientists,  who  seem  to  be  agreed  that  fer- 
tilization lessens  the  quantity  of  lupulin,  and  injures 
its  quality  by  making  it  less  oily  and  less  aromatic. 
"The  function  which  the  plant  would  use  in  ripening 
seed  seems  to  be  employed  in  forming  lupulin  more 
abundantly,  and  in  making  the  hop  fine,  and  imparting 
to  it  the  peculiarly  rich  aroma  so  much  desired  by  cer- 
tain brewers."  So  true  is  this  held  to  be  that  male 
plants  are  not  permitted  in  Spalt  under  heavy  legal 


32  THE  HOP. 

penalty,  and  a  Belgian  commissioner  appointed  to  spe- 
cially study  this  whole  matter  concludes:  "Banish 
strictly  all  male  plants  from  your  hop  yard." 

European  authorities  also  maintain  that  "fertili- 
zation increases  the  number  and  appearance  of  the 
cones;  they  become  coarser,  looser,  and  longer,  and  the 
bracts  are  longer,  more  brittle,  and  fall  off  more  easily." 
They  estimate  that  116  pounds  of  seed  hops  are  re- 
quired to  get  an  equivalent  effect  in  the  beer  of  100 
pounds  of  seedless  hops. 

Prof.  Cheshire,  who  has  made  a  special  study  at 
the  Kew  gardens,  London,  of  the  relations  between 
insects  and  flowering  plants,  also  agrees  with  Euro- 
pean authorities,  and  says:  "The  scientific  evidence 
is  all  on  one  side — that  for  the  production  of  the  largest 
percentage  of  lupulin,  fertilization  should  be  prevented 
by  suppressing  the  male  plant.  As  a  set-off  against 
this,  however,  fertilization  (which  directs  the  energies 
of  the  plant  to  maturing  its  seed)  absorbs  into  the  seed 
a  very  large  part  of  the  store  of  nutritive  material  at 
the  disposal  of  the  plant,  thus  increasing  the  actual 
weight  of  the  crop  of  hops  by  about  10  per  cent.  This 
increase  in  weight  is  accompanied  by  a  considerable 
percentage  decrease  in  lupulin  and  aroma,  the  very 
matters  for  which  the  hop  is  grown.  The  question  is, 
therefore,  to  be  settled  entirely  on  commercial  lines, 
whether  quality  or  bulk  will  bring  the  larger  returns." 

Editor  Ironmonger  of  the  English  Hop  Grower 
also  concludes  his  inquiry  thus:  "If  the  hop  grower 
wants  exquisite  aroma  and  fine  condition,  he  must  ex- 
clude the  male  plant  and  stop  fertilization.  If  he 
wants  weight  with  the  sacrifice  of  some  quality,  let  him 
encourage  the  males  and  gather  his  well-seeded, 
heavy  crop." 

On  the  other  hand,  the  subject  is  claimed  to  be 
a  matter  of  taste.  Those  who  like  the  German  beers 
made  from  seedless  hops  do  not  like  beer  made  from 


CHARACTERISTICS   OF  THE   PLANT. 


33 


English  or  American  seed  hops,  and  vice  versa.  But 
the  increase  in  the  sale  of  American  and  English  beer 
has  outstripped  that  of  their  German  competitor,  indi- 
cating that  the  demand  is  not  so  fastidious  about  seed 
hops  as  some  people  think.  Further  testimony  on  this 
point  is  afforded  by  the  fact  that  even  Spalt  hops,  which 
command  the  highest  price  and  corne  from  a  region 
where  the  utmost  effort  is  made  to  exterminate  the 
male  plant,  contain  a  goodly  proportion  of  seeds.  If 
it  is  proposed  to  compete  with  German  hops  in  the 


FIG.   14.      VARIOUS  SHAPES  OF  HOPS. 

German  market,  or  to  displace  German  hops  that  are 
yearly  sold  in  moderate  lots  at  fancy  prices  to  both 
English  and  American  brewers,  then  the  male  plant 
must  be  extirpated,  and  every  effort  made  to  closely 
imitate  the  peculiarities  of  the  German  marks.  This 
special  market  is  to  be  got  by  catering  to  its  whims, 
not  by  opposing  them. 

Aside  from  this  special  and  limited  demand  for' 
German  seedless  hops,  it  is  evident  that  the  bulk  of  the 
trade  does  not  particularly  care  about  hops  being  seed- 
3 


34 


THE   HOP. 


less.  It  is  significant,  also,  that  the  objection  to  .seed 
hops  is  mainly  heard  when  prices  are  so  very  high  that 
this  point  is  raised  really  as  an  excuse  foralowerquota- 


FIG.    15.      KENTISH  HOPS. 


tion,  or  for  an  allowance  because  of  the  weight  of  the 
seeds,  which  constitute  about  10  per  cent,  of  the  total 
weights.  The  concensus  of  opinion  among  American 


CHARACTERISTICS   OF  THE   PLANT.  35 

expert  dealers  and  growers,  whose  views  have  been 
carefully  collaborated  by  the  author,  agrees  that  im- 
perfect fecundation  is  a  frequent  cause  of  light  weight 
hops  of  inferior  quality.  Especially  important  testi- 
mony on  this  point  comes  from  A.  J.  Wolcott,  an  ex- 
perienced grower  in  Polk  county,  Oregon: 

"This  complaint  of  the  Germans  of  seeds  in  American 
hops  was  first  heard  in  1882  when  hops  were  so  high,  and 
caused  some  growers  on  this  coast  to  grub  out  and  destroy 
all  their  male  vines.  The  result  was  that  their  hops  did 
not  mature  well.  They  were  large,  green,  light,  feathery 
things,  with  neither  color  nor  strength,  and  dealers  would 
not  handle  them.  I  have  seen  this  experiment  tried  in 
southern  Oregon  with  the  same  result.  I  planted  a  yard  my- 
self once  without  being  able  to  get  male  roots,  and  my  hops 
were  poor,  lean  things,  until  I  obtained  the  male  plants 
and  got  them  to  growing  vigorously,  when  my  hops  became 
of  good  color  when  ripe,  with  plenty  of  strength,  and  I  heard 
no  more  complaints  of  poorly  matured  or  lean  hops.  I  am 
now  fully  convinced  that  hops,  like  many  other  plants,  re- 
quire fertilizing  from  the  bloom,  and  as  none  but  the  male 
hops  bears  any  pollen,  it  is  necessary  to  have  a  sufficient 
number  of  these  in  a  hop  yard  so  that  the  female  flowers  of 
each  vine  may  be  fertilized.  And  brewers,  if  they  expect  a 
good,  solid,  bright-colored,  well-matured  hop,  well  filled  with 
lupulin,  must  expect  also  to  see  the  hop  well  filled  with 
good,  large  purple  seed.  If  they  do  not  wish  seed,  they  can- 
not expect  lupulin.  Germany  may  produce  good  hops  with- 
out seed,  but  it  cannot  be  done  here,  at  least  such  has  been 
my  observation  and  experience.  Therefore,  my  advice  is, 
to  let  the  male  hop  alone  and  if  in  a  season  of  high  prices 
a  few  brewers  complain  of  extra  weight  in  the  seed,  pay  no 
attention,  but  go  ahead." 

VARIETIES    OF    HOPS 

Here  there  is  "confusion  worse  confounded." 
Plants  raised  from  seed  are  new  varieties;  only  root 
cuttings  propagate  the  same  varieties.  Many  varieties 
have  been  produced  and  as  it  is  difficult  to  distinguish 
between  their  roots,  the  "sets"  have  been  more  or  less 
mixed.  There  has  been  an  astonishing  lack  of  care  to 
preserve  the  purity  of  the  best  varieties,  and  as  the 
same  common  name  is  sometimes  applied  to  roots  of 
different  varieties  when  grown  in  other  sections,  there 


36  THE   HOP. 

has  come  about  an  almost  hopeless  confusion  of  vari 
eties.  This  is  especially  true  of  America,  and  to  a  less 
extent  in  England,  while  the  best  continental  growers 
jealously  guard  against  such  confusion  and  insist  upon 
sets  true  to  their  pet  varieties.  Such  care  accounts  in 
part  for  the  peculiar  merits  of  certain  brands  of  Eng- 
lish and  European  hops. 

Aside  from  the  exceptions  just  stated,  it  is  a  curi- 
ous fact  that  there  have  been  no  real  efforts  to  breed 
improved  varieties  of  hops.  There  is  an  old  saying 
that  there  are  already  too  many  kinds,  but  there  are 
not  too  many  varieties  of  Xo.  i  hops.  And,  too,  these 
best  varieties  are  probably  chance  seedlings,  instead 
of  being  bred  from  parents  selected  for  some  known 
good  qualities.  It  is  also  doubtless  true  in  a  measure 
that  the  constant  propagation  by  cuttings,  having  been 
carried  on  for  many  generations,  has  caused  some  loss 
of  vigor  and  constitution,  which  may  account  for  hop 
yards  being  more  easily  affected  by  fungus  and  insect 
pests  now  than  half  a  century  ago.  Nature's  law  of  re- 
production is  by  the  union  of  sexes  and  she  also 
opposes  in-and-in  breeding.  If  the  experiment  sta- 
tions in  New  York  or  on  the  Pacific  coast  would  take 
up  this  matter,  there  is  no  doubt  that  in  a  few  years 
much  could  be  done  to  improve  the  hop  crop  by  careful 
selection  and  hybridization.  A  correspondent  in  the 
English  Hop  Grower  of  February  19,  1895,  suggests 
the  following  method: 

"As  the  male  is  generally  supposed  to  influence 
the  constitution,  and  our  aim  is  to  produce  a  vigorous, 
disease-resisting  hop  of  good  quality,  let  us  take,  by 
way  of  example,  a  Fuggle  for  the  father  (though  it  has 
been  noticed  that  male  Fuggles  are  scarce  in  East 
Kent  plantations),  and  for  the  mother  wre  will  take  a 
Brambling  or  Petham  Golding,  as  being  of  the  best 
quality.  In  the  autumn,  select  strong,  healthy  hills  from 
which  to  take  the  cuttings,  and  plant  the  male  Fuggle 


CHARACTERISTICS   OF  THE   PLANT.  3  4 

cuts  and  the  female  B rambling  cuts  a  short  distance 
apart,  the  male  preferably  on  the  southwest  side  in  a 
sheltered  spot,  as  far  as  possible  away  from  anyhopgar- 
den,  to  guard  against  the  female  being  fertilized  by  any 
but  the  desired  pollen.  The  first  year  we  shall  prob- 


FIG.    16.      KENTISH  CLUSTER  HOPS. 

At  "Watsonville,  CalM  from  a  photograph  taken  Sept.  10;  yielded  2000  Ibs.  of  dried 
hops  to  the  acre,  as  the  average  for  19  acn  s.  A  general  view  of  this  yard, 
trained  on  short  poles,  is  shown  on  another  pa:-;e. 

ably  get  very  few  or  no  hops;  the  next  season  perhaps 
it  will  be  advisable  to  cut  the  Fuggle  early,  and  the 
Brambling  late,  in  order  to  cause  them  to  flower  as 
nearly  as  possible  at  the  same  time,  one  being  an  early. 


38  THE   HOP. 

the  other  a  late  hop.  In  the  autumn  the  crop  must  be 
protected  from  birds  and  be  allowed  to  get  thoroughly 
ripe;  the  hops  must  then  be  picked  and  sun-dried; 
afterwards  the  seeds  must  be  sorted  out  and  kept  till 
the  spring,  when  they  can  either  be  sown  in  pots  or  in 
a  bed  properly  prepared.  In  the  autumn  the  seed- 
lings must  be  dug  up  and  planted  out  on  good  ground 
about  two  feet  apart,  and  carefully  cultivated  for  two 
or  three  years,  till  it  can  be  seen  which  plants  answer 
our  expectations  and  are  worth  saving;  these  can  after- 
wards be  readily  reproduced  from  cuttings." 

In  England. — As  to  varieties  in  England,  White- 
head  wrote  in  1893  as  follows,  and  careful  inquiry  by 
the  author,  of  the  best  experts  among  English  growers, 
shows  that  this  is  equally  true  to-day: 

"The  fashion  as  to  varieties  changes,  in  accordance  with 
the  circumstances  of  the  demand.  Until  the  last  year  or  so 
hops  of  the  finest  quality  were  required  by  the  brewers.  Land 
which  produced  these  was  at  a  premium.  The  East  and  Mid 
Kent  and  Farnham  planters  were  in  the  ascendant  and 
planted  the  best  varieties,  as  Bramblings,  and  others  of  Gold- 
ing  character.  Producers  of  more  common  hops,  in  the  weald 
of  Kent,  Sussex,  and  elsewhere,  were  disposed  to  consider 
their  occupation  gone,  and  made  some  efforts  to  improve 
their  quality.  But  now  this  has  changed  for  the  nonce. 
Fine-flavored  hops,  full  of  aroma,  seem  just  now  to  be  re- 
quired only  for  pale  and  export  ales,  and  for  the  compara- 
tively small  quantity  of  stock  beer  now  brewed.  For  beer 
for  quick  draught  common  hops,  it  is  said,  are  good  enough. 
There  has  been  a  large  demand  for  these  of  late,  and  they 
ha\e  made  prices  relatively  higher  than  those  of  the  finer 
sorts.  Varieties  of  common  hops  have  therefore  been  exten- 
sively planted,  even  in  districts  producing  hops  of  fine 
quality,  and  among  them  the  Fuggle's  Goldmg,  as  cropping 
heavily,  has  been  largely  selected.  Many  planters,  however, 
refuse  to  make  any  alteration  in  this  respect,  as  they  say 
that  there  will  be  a  reaction  when  the  market  is  crowded 
with  common  hops. 

"In  East  Kent  the  prevailing  varieties  are  Goldmgs  of 
several  kinds,  Bramblings,  Cobb's  Early  Goldings,  Pethain 
Goldings,  Canterbury,  and  Old  Goldings.  Bramblings  and 
other  Goldings  are  still  generally  grown  on  the  best  land; 
Whitebine  Grapes  and  Grapes  on  that  of  not  so  good  a  qual- 
ity. In  Mid  Kent,  Goldmgs,  Bramblings,  Grapes,  and  Jones 


CHARACTERISTICS   OF^r^fiHPiJTT^T.  89 


are  principally  cultivated.  Fuggle's  Goldings  are  now  being 
planted  rather  extensively. 

"The  Golding  is  undoubtedly  the  best  English  hop,  hav- 
ing unsurpassed  aroma  and  brewing  value.  The  Golding  is 
a  sub-variety  of  the  Canterbury  hop,  which  was  raised  by  a 
Mr.  Golding  of  Kent,  about  1800,  who  observed  in  his  grounds 
a  plant  of  extraordinary  quality  and  productiveness  and 
marked  it  and  propagated  from  it,  furnishing  his  neighbors 
with  cuttings.  This  variety  has  small  compact  cones,  shaped 
somewhat  like  a  filbert,  of  a  light  golden  color  when  ripe. 
The  cones  do  not  cluster  together,  but  grow  in  bunches  of 
two  or  three  cones.  Bramblings  are  Goldings  of  slightly  dif- 
ferent shape,  coming  earlier  to  pick,  having  valuable  Golding 
attributes.  White's-  Early  Golding  is  the  earliest  hop  with 
Golding  characteristics,  but  it  is  rather  delicate,  and  a  shy 
bearer. 

"The  Grape  and  Whitebine  Grape  are  very  useful,  handy 
sorts,  having  large  cones  that  grow  to  a  great  size  in  some 
soils,  and  hanging  in  clusters  like  grapes.  There  are  other 
kinds  of  Grapes,  as  the  Parnham  Whitebine,  full  of  quality 
and  a  very  good  bearer.  Cooper's  White  is  a  rather  early  va- 
riety. Mayfreld  Grape  is  a  hardy,  useful  prolific  kind.  Buss's 
Golding  and  Fuggle's  Golding  have  not  many  Golding  quali- 
ties. They  are  rather  coarse,  coming  to  pick  later  than 
Goldings,  but  they  are  good  cropping  sorts,  especially  the 
Fuggle's  Golding,  and  are  not  as  a  rule  so  disposed  to  blight 
and  mold  as  others.  The  Jones  is  a  very  useful  hop,  yield- 
ing well  on  some  soils;  it  has  large  cones,  and  wlien  grown 
on  good  land  has  much  quality.  There  are  very  early  and 
common  varieties,  as  Prolifics,  Meophams,  and  others,  which 
yield  large  crops  of  inferior  quality,  and  are  not  much  in 
favor  with  brewers  when  other  kinds  are  available  at  reason- 
able rates. 

"The  Mathon  is  peculiar  to  Worcestershire  arid  Here- 
fordshire, and  approaches  nearly  in  flavor  to  the  East  Kent 
Golding.  In  Sussex  and  the  weald  of  Kent,  the  Colegate  is 
grown,  but  not  nearly  so  extensively  as  twenty-five  years 
ago,  and  many  planters  are  eliminating  it  altogether  and 
planting  Fuggle's,  Hobb's,  Henham's,  and  Buss's  Golding. 
It  comes  to  pick  latest  of  all  hops.  It  is  a  very  hardy  but 
backward  hop,  and  will  grow  on  any  soil;  it  runs  much  to 
vine  and  requires  as  long  poles  as  Goldings.  The  hops  are 
generally  very  small,  when  quite  ripe  before  they  are  picked; 
they  have  a  rich,  thick  appearance  when  dried,  but  the  smell 
and  flavor  are  not  good,  and  some  brewers  object  to  them. 

"Hops  of  a  Golding  type  are  cultivated  on  the  best  soils 
in  Hampshire  and  Surrey,  while  Grapes,  as  the  ordinary 
Grape,  and  William's  Whitebine  Grape,  the  Grape  Green- 
bine,  Henham's  and  Fuggle's  have  been  planted  on  the 
poorer  soil.  There  has  been  a  disposition  of  late  in  Here- 


40  THE   HOP. 

fordshire  and  Worcestershire  to  plant  hops  of  Golding  char- 
acter, and  to  improve  the  quality  generally  of  the  growths 
of  these  counties,  which  finds  much  and  increasing  favor 
among  brewers.  At  the  same  time  early  varieties,  as  Meo- 
phams  and  Prolifics,  have  been  put  in  to  some  extent,  and 
Fuggle's,  which  are  coming  into  favor." 

In  the  United  States,  the  number  of  so-called  vari- 
eties is  much  smaller  than  abroad.  In  New  York 
state,  English  Cluster  is  still  grown  extensively,  being 


FIG.    17.      FUGGLES,   KENT. 

strong,  a  vigorous  climber,  and  bearing  rich,  golden 
hops  when  well  handled.  The  Grape  is  a  very  rich 
hop,  but  not  so  hardy  nor  so  good  a  climber  as  Eng- 
lish Cluster,  which  has  largely  supplanted  it.  The 
Grape  vine  and  fruit  are  of  only  medium  size,  the  hops 
have  a  mild  flavor  and  part  very  easily  from  the  stems. 
Pompey  has  large,  rank-growing,  rough  vines,  dark 


CHARACTERISTICS   OF   THE   PLANT  41 

green  foliage,  large,  squarish  and  strong-flavored 
fruit,  sometimes  three  and  even  four  inches  in  length, 
is  hard  to  pick,  and  is  no  longer  planted  by  progressive 
growers.  About  a  week  earlier  in  ripening  is  Hum- 
phrey's Seedling,  originated  by  chance  in  Wisconsin, 
which  is  being  grown  quite  extensively.  It  is  a  good 
grower,  but  sonietimes  yields  lighter  weight  hops  than 
Cluster,  lice  are  very  partial  to  it  and  the  yield  is  some- 
times cut  by  a  hot,  dry  spell  coming  just  as  the  hops 
are  in  the  burr.  One  week  earlier  than  Humphrey  is 
the  main  point  of  Palmer  Seedling,  but  it  is  such  a  shy 
bearer,  though  of  fine  hops,  as  not  to  be  much  planted. 

The  Canada  hop  or  Canada  Red,  so-called  because 
the  roots  come  from  Canada,  is  known  by  its  red  vines, 
fruit  rather  below  medium  size;  the  strobile  is  firm,  of 
a  golden  color,  and  mild,  agreeable  flavor.  It  is  per- 
haps the  hardiest  of  all  hops,  and  seldom  winterkills 
in  New  York  state,  when  other  kinds  may  be  ruined. 
It  is  a  fair  bearer  under  indifferent  culture,  and  a  good 
bearer  under  good  culture.  The  hops  are  leafy  and 
rather  difficult  to  pick  clean,  which  probably  accounts 
for  the  dispute  as  to  the  flavor  and  quality  of  the  Can- 
ada hop.  "It  is  of  rank  flavor  and  disliked  by 
brewers  and  dealers"  when  moldy,  unripe  or  overripe, 
or  when  mixed  with  leaves,  etc.;  but  picked  clean  in 
its  prime  and  properly  cured,  the  true  Canada  hop  is  of 
fine  flavor  and  color,  though  perhaps  not  as  good  as 
English  Cluster.  The  popularity  of  Canada  is  due 
mainly  to  the  fact  that  it  ripens  nearly  a  week  later  than 
Cluster  and  can  stand  on  the  vines  fully.,  a  week  after 
the  date  that  Cluster  must  be  picked.  The  roots  are 
also  cheaper. 

A  false  Canada,  or  roots  of  an  inferior  quality, 
has  been  spuriously  sold.  It  is  such  hops  that  are 
usually  "so  rank  in  flavor  and  disliked  by  the  trade" 
as  to  be  a  commercial  failure.  The  term  "false  Cana- 
dian hops"  is  not  recognized  in  Canada.  It  is  a  fact, 


&  THE   HOP. 

however,  that  Canadian  hops  are  so  disliked  in  Eng- 
land they  cannot  be  sold  there.  John  A.  Morton  says 
Canada  produces  mainly  three  kinds:  "A  hop  that 
grades  very  similar  to  the  best  growth  in  Franklin 
county,  New  York,  another  akin  to  English  Cluster, 
but  with  a  slight  Bavarian  flavor,  and  a  third  variety 
very  similar  to  Pacific  Coast  hops." 

As  to  California  varieties,  Flint  writes  for  this 
book:  "There  are  only  two  varieties  of  hops  cultivated 
here  to  any  great  extent.  The  leading  variety  is  called 
the  large  gray  American  hop.  The  hop  is  large  and 
compact  on  the  stems.  We  are  so  well  pleased  with  it 
in  every  respect,  except  that  in  some  localities  it  does 
not  give  as  fine  straw  color  as  we  would  like,  that  we 
are  riot  looking  for  a  better  one.  Another  variety  is 
called  the  'San  Jose  hop,'  but  the  growers  do  not 
plant  it  if  they  know  it.  It  comes  a  little  sooner  in 
the  spring  and  outgrows  the  other  kinds  for  a  while, 
has  more  and  larger  leaves,  but  the  hops  are  more 
scattered  on  the  arms  and  do  not  produce  as  much  per 
acre.  The  vine  is  redder  or  darker. 

"There  have  been  a  very  few  importations  of  some 
of  the  leading  varieties  of  the  English  hop,  but  not 
enough  to  make  a  commercial  account  of  them.  I 
learn  that  they  do  not  produce  equal  to  our  kind,  and 
I  think  they  will  be  soon  discarded. 

"In  the  Sacramento  valley  we  begin  to 
pick  the  American  hops  about  August  23  to 
28;  nearer  to  the  coast,  about  ten  days  later. 
When  hops  are  ready  to  pick  they  will  not 
stand  more  than  three  to  four  weeks  without  turning 
rusty,  but  this  depends  a  good  deal  on  the  weather; 
a  hot  north  wind  will  burn  them  like  a  furnace  in  one 
day,  on  the  sides  of  the  yard  most  exposed.  On  the 
other  hand,  if  the  weather  remains  cool,  and  we  have 
cool  south  winds  and  nights,  with  a  good  deal  of  dew, 
the  hops  will  remain  on  the  vines  much  longer  without 


CHARACTEKISTICS    OF    THE    PLANT.  43 

turning.  Most  all  the  hops  on  the  Pacific  coast  came 
from  my  yard  and  I  brought  the  stock  originally 
from  Vermont  in  1855." 

In  Oregon,  the  English  Cluster,  or  White  Root 
hop,  produces  1,500  to  2,000  pounds  per  acre.  It 
usually  ripens  between  September  i  and  10,  and  will 
stand  15  to  18  days,  when  the  hops  begin  to 


FIG.  ,18.      BATES'S  BREWERS,   KENT. 

turn  red  or  overripe  and  to  scatter.  It  is  the  heaviest 
yielder  and  brewers  prefer  its  quality,  but  its  roots  are 
especially  subject  to  black  knot.  Canadian,  or  red 
root  hops,  or  as  it  is  sometimes  called  in  California 
the  Bavarian  root,,  yields  less  in  Oregon,  averaging 
1,000  to  1,500  pounds  per  acre,  but  the  crop  is  surer 
than  English  Cluster,  ripens  seven  to  ten  days  later  and 


44  THE    HOP. 

will  stand  three  weeks,  but  the  strobile  is  small  and 
the  foliage  thick,  so  it  costs  more  to  pick  and  sells 
no  higher.  Early  Fuggles  are  passing  away.  They 
produce  a  small  hop,  almost  seedless  and  have  a  pe- 
culiar flavor.  They  ripen  from  ten  days  to  two  weeks 
earlier  than  the  English  Cluster  and  even  when  ripe 
they  have  a  dull,  greenish  color  that  detracts  from  the 
selling  qualities. 

The  rotative  dates  of  maturity  are  important,  as  a 
yard  can  be  more  conveniently  harvested  if  parts  of  it 
ripen  in  rotation.  Palmer  ripens  first;  Humphrey's 
follows  a  week  later.  English  Cluster  matures  five  to 
ten  days  afterward  and  true  Canada  Red  about  a  week 
later  still.  E.  Meeker  thinks  that  a  model  yard  in  re- 
spect to  varieties  for  the  Pacific  coast  is  in  the  propor- 
tion of  one  acre  ot  Humphrey  to  two  acres  of  Cluster 
and  one  acre  of  Canada  Red. 

European  Varieties  — In  Germany,  the  merits  of 
hops  are  governed  more  by  the  sections  in  which  they 
are  grown  than  by  the  variety.  Beckenhaupt  says  that 
this  is  true  to  so  great  an  extent  that  only  three  dis- 
tinct varieties  of  hops  are  grown  in  Germany — the 
early  Schwetzinger,  the  medium  RcHhermburger  and 
the  late  Spalter  variety.  Beckenhaupt  has  collected 
nearly  thirty  distinct  varieties  of  hops  from  various 
parts  of  Europe,  and  believes  there  is  more  merit  in 
the  best  varieties  than  is  recognized  by  the  trade.  Most 
of  the  hop  yards  in  Germany  are  planted  to  roots  that 
came  directly  or  indirectly  from  Spalt,  and  the  hops 
there  are  said  to  have  been  derived  from  Saatz  hops, 
Evidently  the  confusion  of  varieties  is  quite  as  bad  on 
the  continent  as  elsewhere. 

Over  100  so-called  varieties  of  hops  have  been 
described  in  Germany,  but  in  the  Nuremberg  market 
continental  hops  are  thus  classified,  and  the  varieties 
grown  in  the  respective  localities  are  much  alike,  if  not 
identical :  I,  Hops  of  the  towns  of  Saatz  and  of  Spalt, 


CHARACTERISTICS   OF   THE    PLANT.  45 

and  the  nearest  situated  principal  villages;  II,  adjoin- 
ing domain  of  Spalt,  Kind,  and  Saatz  lands;  III,  Wol- 
zach,  Au,  and  smaller  sites  of  the  Spalt  land;  IV,  Hal- 
lertau,  Auscha  red-land,  Styria,  and  principal  portions 
of  Wurtemberg  and  Baden;  V,  finest  mountain  hops, 
Aisch-ground,  finest  Polish,  Alsatian  and  Burgundian 
hops;  VI,  Common  Middle  and  Upper  Franconian 
hops,  Wurtefnbergian,  Baden,  Polish,  Alsatian  and 
Burgundian,  and  finest  Galician  hops;  VII,  Upper  Aus- 
trian, Auscha  Greenland,  Lothingian,  and  Kannenberg 
land;  VIII,  Brunswick,  Altmark,  and  the  remaining 
parts  of  northern  Germany;  IX,  northern  France,  Bel- 
gium and  Holland;  X,  Russia  and  the  rest  of  Europe. 

WHAT    CONSTITUTES    QUALITY    IN    HOPS? 

This  question  can  be  answered  in  various  ways, 
according  to  the  peculiar  desires  of  the  buyer.  What 
Brewer  A  might  consider  specially  adapted  to  his  need, 
might  be  considered  as  No.  2's  by  Brewer  B,  whose 
product  was  quite  different  from  A's.  Dealers  and 
brewers,  also  growers  who  know  their  business,  are 
united  upon  certain  characteristics  as  essential  in  any 
lot  of  hops  in  order  that  it  may  command  the  top  of 
the  market: 

1.  The  hops  must  be  picked  clean,  ana   be  free 
from  leaves  or  weeds,  with  no  pieces  of  vine,  string,  or 
dirt,  and  free  from  discolored  or  moldy  hops. 

2.  The  hops  must  have  a  rich,  golden  color,  not 
over-bleached  nor  yet  too  green,  properly  cured  but 
not  baked,  with  a  bright  attractive  appearance  and  a 
rich  aroma. 

3.  They  must  be  honestly  and  solidly  packed  in 
bales  weighing  about  185  pounds,  and  in  baling  great 
care  should  be  observed  not  to  break  the  hops,  nor  to 
false-pack   them.     The   term   "false-pack"   is   applied 
to  a  bale  of  hops  that  has  two  or  more  colors  of  hops, 
pressed  in  layers.    It  is  caused  by  filling  up  a  portion  of 


46 


THE    HOP. 


CHARACTERISTICS   OF   THE   PLANT.  47 

the  bale  with  hops  of  a  certain  color  and  then  filling 
the  balance  with  hops  of  another  color.  When  a  sam- 
ple is  drawn  from  a  bale  of  this  kind,  one  portion  of  the 
sample  will  show  hops  probably  of  a  greenish  char- 
acter, and  the  other  portion  will  show  up  a  yellow  or 
red.  It  is  essential  that  the  bale  be  even  in  color  and 
that  a  sample  taken  from  any  part  fully  represent  the 
whole. 

Viewed  from  the  standpoint  of  brewers  as  brought 
out  at  a  recent  conference  of  English  hop  growers,  it 
is  necessary  to  consider  three  things  in  judging  qual- 
ity of  hops:  First,  the  preservative  power,  depending 
upon  the  particular  class  of  resin  called  oleo  resin;  sec- 
ond, the  amount  of  bitter  that  is  yielded,  and  third, 
the  flavor  or  aroma.  Generally  speaking,  the  higher 
the  percentage  of  oleo  resins,  wrhich  are  now  capable  of 
exact  determination,  the  greater  the  value  of  hops  for 
brewing  purposes.  Discussing  these  features,  Mr.  C. 
S.  Meacham,  a  brewer  of  Maidstone,  Eng.,  among 
other  things  said: 

"Continental  or  American  hops,  growing  a  high 
percentage  of  oily  resins,  are  generally  so  intensely  bit- 
ter that  it  is  this  which  determines  the  maximum  quan- 
tity which  a  brewer  should  use  in  his  beers  in  conjunc- 
tion with  his  milder  British  hops.  It  must  be  borne 
in  mind,  however,  that  the  amount  of  the  bitter  is  to 
some  extent  counterbalanced  by  the  lesser  quantity  of 
hops  which  need  be  used  where  the  percentage  of 
preservative  resins  is  high.  This  statement  might  be 
construed  by  some  as  a  reason  for  not  striving  after  a 
high  resin  percentage,  but  I  would  remind  such  that 
it  is  not  bulk  of  hops  but  preservative  resin  which 
the  brewer  wishes  to  purchase,  and  for  which  he  will 
be  prepared  to  pay  more  money. 

It  is  on  this  point  of  resin  that  the  battle  between 
English  and  foreign  hops  is  to  be  fought.  In  softness 
and  clearness  of  bitter  and  delicacy  of  flavor,  English 


48 


THE    HOP. 


growers  have  little  to  fear;  but  from  the  point  of  view 
of  resin  percentage,  continental  and  American  com- 
petitors so  far  have  the  advantage.  To  reduce  the  dif- 
ference between  British  and  foreign  hops  to  a  small 
point,  the  end  may  be  attained  by  allowing  British 
hops  to  fully  mature  before  picking,  by  greater  care 
and  delicacy  in  handling,  and  by  greater  care  and  su- 
pervision in  drying.  Careful  investigation  shows  that  a 


FIG.    20.      CLIMBING   TENDRIL  OF    HOP  VINE. 

Magnified  100  times,  showing  the  prickly  points  that  give  the  vine  such  power  to 

cling. 

great  loss  of  resin  is  due  to  careless  handling,  in  some 
cases  amounting  to  20  or  30  per  cent,  of  the  total.  In 
German  hops  scarcely  a  particle  of  the  resin  is  lost. 
The  one  question  now  before  the  hop  growers  of  Eng- 
land is  how  to  produce  the  largest  amount  of  resin  pre- 
servative and  then  to  save  as  much  of  it  as  possible.  If 
the  English  curing  can  be  improved  so  as  to  give  a 
return  of  18  per  cent,  resins,  instead  of  about  15  per 


CHARACTERISTICS   OF  THE   PLA^T.  49 

cent.,  as  at  present,  the  difference  between  English  and 
foreign  grown  would  be  infinitesimal." 

BREWERS'  VIEWS  IN  BUYING  HOPS. 

[Quoted  from  The    Theory   and    Practice    of   the    Prepara- 
tion of  Malt,  etc.] 

"The  brewer,  in  determining  the  value  of  hops,  is  forced 
to  take  into  consideration  certain  external  qualities,  far  more 
so  than  in  barley,  for  he  can  reach  a  conclusion  as  to  suit- 
ableness of  the-  hop  for  the  fabrication  of  beer  from  exter- 
nal appearances  alone.  We  will  here  give  the  good  as  well 
as  the  bad  qualities  of  hops. 

"1.  The  cones  of  the  hop  should  not  be  too  large;  the 
carpels  should  ngt  be  thick  and  leathery,  but  tender,  and 
their  ribs  should  be  thin.  The  color  of  the  cones  should  be 
yellowish  green  and  not  light  green,  red,  or  reddish  brown. 
The  peduncle  should  not  be  stripped  of  leaves  and 
loose  carpels  should  not  be  mixed  with  the  hops  in  large 
quantities,  but  the  cones  should  appear  closed,  with  the  car- 
pels lying  tightly  above  each  other.  Cones  of  a  light  green 
coloring  and  open  are  frequently  proof  of  unripe  hops,  which 
contain  less  flour  and  have  a  weaker  aromatic  smell.  A 
light  red  coloring  and  a  very  shiny  surface  of  the  carpels  is 
an  indication  of  the  hops  having  been  allowed  to  become 
overripe.  The  consequence  of  overripeness  is  a  loss  of  the 
valuable  flour,  yet  this  is  not  so  injurious  as  when  the  com- 
ponent parts  of  the  hops  have  suffered  injury  from  having 
been  heated  during  drying,  and  the  hops  have  acquired  a  dull 
brown  color  in  consequence.  This  appearance  is  called 
'ground  red'  (botlenroth).  The  hops  have  a  similar  appearance 
when  they  have  been  baled  too  damp  and  have  become 
heated  in  the  hop  bale,  when  they  largely  lose  their  agree- 
able aroma  and  very  frequently  become  entirely  useless.  If 
the  hops  have  been  dried  too  much,  or  have  been  frequently 
repacked,  for  whatever  reason,  the  carpels  become  detached 
from  the  peduncle,  the  cones  appear  to  be  torn,  and  they  have 
lost  some  of  their  flour.  If  the  hops  have  been  dried  by 
artificial  heat,  at  too  high  a  temperature,  the  flour  assumes 
an  orange  color  and  the  hops  acquire  an  empyreumatic  smell. 

"2.  When  a  few  cones  are  torn  to  pieces,  as  large  a 
quantity  of  hop  flour  as  possible  should  be  seen  on  the  inner 
surface  of  the  carpels.  The  richer  the  hop  is  in  flour,  which 
is  the  bearer  of  its  most  valuable  component  parts,  the  more 
valuable  will  it  be,  if  it  also  possesses  the  other  good  quali- 
ties. The  flour  of  fresh  hops  is  a  light  yellow  color.  The 
fruit,  situated  on  the  base  of  the  carpels,  should  be  as  small 
as  possible;  large  granules  which  weigh  heavy  are  an  indi- 
cation of  a  not  very  fine  hop. 

"3.  A  fine,  strong  aromatic  odor  should  be  perceptible 
when  the  cones  are  rubbed  between  the  hands.  Hops  of  poor 


50  THE   HOP 

• 

quality,  or  raised  under  unfavorable  conditions,  possess  a 
garlicky  odor.  Hops  smelling  moldy  or  musty,  or  which 
have  suffered  injury  in  drying,  or  in  the  hop  bale,  should 
not  be  used. 

"4.  The  separate  cones  should  stick  together  when  the 
hop  is  pressed  together  in  the  hand — it  should  ball  together 
and  only  slowly  separate  again;  this  is  an  indication  of  the 
hop  being  rich  in  resin.  If  it  contains  little  resin  it  does  not 
ball  and  feels  dry.  When  marks  are  made  upon  the  hand  with 
separate  cones,  these  marks  should  be  sticky  and  of  a  yel- 
lowish color;  unripe  cones  make  light  green  marks. 

"5.  The  taste  of  the  hop  should  be  pure  and  agreeably 
bitter. 

•'6.  It  should  be  free  from  the  leaves  of  the  vines,  pieces 
of  vine  and  other  admixtures.  The  cone  should  not  be  cov- 
ered with  mold  or  the  parasitic  fungus-smut  (Fumago 
salicina),  which  covers  the  leaves  and  cones  with  a  sooty 
coating,  and  is  very  injurious  to  the  hop  plant.  This  fungus 
may  destroy  an  entire  hop  harvest.  Plant  lice  frequently 
make  their  appearance  as  forerunners  of  this  disease,  adher- 
ing in  skins  to  the  hop  and  contaminating  it. 

"7.  They  must  not  be  too  old.  Old  hops  do  not  possess 
certain  of  those  already-mentioned  good  qualities;  they  have 
lost  considerably  in  value,  as  the  volatile  oil,  as  well  as  the 
hop  resin,  has  deteriorated.  Hop  cones  which  have  been 
stored  for  some  length  of  time  have  a  brownish  color,  the 
fruits  are  easily  detached  from  the  peduncle,  the  agreeable 
odoi  has  changed  into  a  disagreeable,  cheesy  (rank)  odor, 
the  flour  has  a  reddish  coloring  and  the  hop  has  lost  its 
stickiness.  The  examination  of  the  hop  flour  by  a  good  mag- 
nifying glass  or  the  microscope  is  to  be  recommended  as  a 
means  of  distinguishing  old  hops  from  fresh  ones.  Even  then, 
when  the  before-mentioned  characteristics  of  old  hops  have 
in  some  manner  been  obliterated  with  fraudulent  intent,  a 
microscopic  examination  is  still  a  sure  guide.  The  separate 
glands  of  fresh  hops,  which  form  the  hop  flour,  are  full, 
glossy,  and  of  a  lemon  color,  have  a  smooth  surface,  and 
when  pressed  discharge  the  contents  of  the  gland,  showing 
a  light  yellow  coloring.  Glands  of  the  old  hops  are  shriveled, 
wrinkled,  and  the  fluid  discharged  from  them  is  of  greater 
consistency  and  has  a  dark  yellow  to  brownish  color,  and 
this  color  will  show  itself  the  more  the  older  the  hops  are, 
and  the  smaller  the  quantity  of  hop  balsam.  In  time  the  hops 
become  poorer  in  oil,  which  has  been  partly  oxidated  and 
changed  its  color." 


UNIVERSITY 

CALIFOH 


CHAPTER  IV 

COMPOSITION    OF    THE    HOP    PLANT    AND    ITS    FRUIT 


HE  essential  characteristic  of 
the  hop  plant  is  the  lupulin 
in  its  flowers  or  strobiles. 
When  highly  magnified  the 
grains  of  lupulin  appear  as  in 
Fig.  10.  When  fresh,  the 
lupulin  is  very  resinous,  ad- 
hesive and  aromatic;  and  it 
is  upon  this  that  the  peculiar 
odor,  taste  and  other  proper- 
ties of  the  hop  in  a  great 

measure  depend.  This  being  the  case,  the  greater 
or  less  abundance  of  lupulin  in  a  sample  of  hops 
is  one  guide  in  judging  of  their  quality,  and  it  will 
be  seen  that,  in  all  processes  of  preparing  them  for 
market,  care  should  be  taken  that  this  be  not  lost. 
The  color  of  the  lupulin  is  also  an  essential  fea- 
ture. A  bright  golden  lupulin  of  a  lemon  shade  is  an 
indication  of  proper  curing,  while  a  discolored  lupulin 
is  an  indication  of  improper  curing  or  handling  and  is 
caused  by  the  hops  being  either  high  dried  or  the 
reverse. 

The  odor  of  the  hop  or  strobile  is  due  to  its  essen- 
tial oil  and  is  powerful  but  agreeable;  the  taste  is  bit- 
ter, and  besides  lupulin,  the  hop  contains  an  acid,  an 
essential  oil,  an  aromatic  resin,  wax  and  extractive  mat- 
ter. By  pressure,  hop  heads  yield  a  green,  light,  acrid 
oil,  called  oil  of  hops. 

Yves  attributes  to  lupulinic  powder  alone  the  active 
principle  of  hops.  But  Payen  and  Chevallier  are  of  the 

51 


52  THE   HOP. 

opinion  that  the  entire  flower  contains  the  same  active 
principles  which  are  found  in  the  yellow  dust.  If  this 
were  not  so,  says  Simmonds,  the  hops,  which  in  trans- 
port lose  a  great  quantity  of  this  yellow  powder,  would 
have  but  a  feeble  effect  in  the  manufacture  of  beer. 
The  bracts  certainly  contain  some  lupulin  and  are 
therefore  not  altogether  devoid  of  active  principles. 
The  tonic  and  narcotk  properties  of  the  hop  are  pecul- 
iar to  it  and  occur  in,  no  other  substance.  Lupulin 
alone  contains  the  following  substances  in  varying  pro- 
portions: 

1  Water.  11  A  fatty  matter. 

2  Essential  oil.  12  ChlorophyL 

3  Acetate  of  ammonia  13  Acetate  of  lime. 

4  Malate  of  lime.  14  Nitrate  and  sulphate  of  potash. 

5  Albumin.  15  Sub-carbonate  of  potash. 

6  Gum.  16  Carbonate  and  phosphate  of  lime. 

7  Malic  acid.  17  Phosphate  of  magnesia. 

8  Tannic  acid.  18  Sulphur. 

9  A  resin.  19  Oxide  of  iron. 
10  Bitter  extract.  20  Silica. 

The  well  cured  American  or  English  hop  of  com- 
merce varies  in  composition  within  the  following  limits, 
the  figures  showing  per  cents  or  pounds  of  each  ingre- 
dient in  100  pounds  of  cured  hops: 


Lupulin. 

Water. 

Seeds. 

Highest 

16 

10 

14 

Lowest  

7 

7 

8 

Average  

10 

8 

10 

In  German  hops  the  seeds  comprise  from  less  than  I 
per  cent,  to  8  per  cent,  of  the  weight,  but  their  lupulin 
varies  as  above;  of  the  cones,  75  per  cent,  are  outer 
leaves  or  bracts  and  about  15  per  cent,  are  stalks. 
Numerous  analyses  of  hops  have  been  made  abroad, 
but  few  in  the  United  States.  They  do  not  throw  much 
light  on  the  question  of  what  constitutes  quality  in 
hops,  for  the  constituents  revealed  by  analysis  have 
been  found  to  be  almost  identical  in  two  samples,  one 
of  which  produced  a  good  beer  and  the  other  a  bad 
beer.  Simmonds  gives  a  compilation  of  analytical 
data  about  hops  to  which  the  student  is  referred,  and 
further  information  will  be  found  in  books  on  brewing. 


COMPOSITION    OF    PLANT    AND    .Fit U IT. 


THE    HOP. 


More  recently  Aubry  analyzed  nine  samples  of  conti- 
nental and  English  hops,  the  results  showing  less 
variation  than  might  be  expected,  as  follows: 


Maximum 

Minimum. 

Average. 

Water  

9.3 

7.6 

8  3 

Alcoliol  extract                  

48  8 

39  1 

44  8 

Ether  extract  

36.2 

264 

31  6 

Water  extract  after  alcoholic  extract. 
Nitrogen,  total  

16.3 

2.8 

11.2 
1.9 

14.0 

2  3 

Nitrogen,  soluble  
Tannin 

0.8 
5  8 

0.6 
4  0 

0.7 

4  8 

Resin  .                    

26  1 

15  6 

20  1 

Water  extract  

27.0 

21.1 

24.2 

The  conclusion  drawn  from  these  results  is  that 
the  tannic  acid  effects  of  hops  are  accomplished  mostly 
after  they  have  been  deprived  of  their  resin,  and  that 
but  a  very  small  proportion  of  the  nitrogenous  constit- 
uents of  the  hops  being  taken  up  by  the  water  extract, 
they  are  of  but  little  importance  in  the  wort. 

THE    CHEMISTRY    OF     HOPS 

is  treated  in  further  detail  for  this  work 
by  E.  E.  Ewell,  of  the  Division  of  Chem- 
istry, United  States  Department  of  Agriculture,  as  fol- 
lows: 'That  our  knowledge  of  the  chemistry  of  hops  is 
still  deficient  in  many  points  is  shown  by  this  quota- 
tion from  Moritz  and  Morris's  Text  Book  of  the  Sci- 
ence of  Brewing/  published  in  1891: 

"Although  it  must  be  granted  that  in  recent  years 
we  have  got  to  know  something  precise  as  to  many  of 
the  constituents  of  the  hop,  yet  its  chemistry,  like  all 
botanical  chemistry,  is  surrounded  by  difficulties  in 
regard  to  the  isolation  and  investigation  of  the  various 
constituents,  difficulties  far  exceeding  those  of  the 
study  of  other  materials  used  in  brewing." 

According  to  these  authors,  "Hops  are  added  to  the 
beer  for  the  following  reasons:  (i)  To  give  the  beer 
the  distinctive  bitter  flavor  and  aroma;  (2)  to  precipi- 
tate certain  nitrogenous  constituents  of  the  wort;  (3) 
to  clarify  the  wort,  not  only  by  the  separation  of  the 
above  constituents,  but  by  the  mechanical  clarifying 


COMPOSITION    OF   PLANT   AND   FRUIT. 


55 


56  THE  HOP. 

property  of  the  hop  leaves  when  agitated  in  the  copper, 
and  by  the  formation  of  a  filter  bed  for  the  filtration  of 
the  wort  in  the  hop  back;  (4)  to  preserve  the  beer 
by  the  antiseptic  influence  of  some  of  their  constitu- 
ents; (5)  to  assist  in  the  sterilization  of  the  wort. 

"The  bitter  flavor  is  imparted  by  some  of  the  resins 
and  the  so-called  hop  acid  (hopfcnbittcrsaurc)\  the 
aroma  by  the  volatile  oils;  the  precipitation  of  the 
nitrogenous  matters  by  the  tannic  acid,  and  the  anti- 
septic properties  by  certain  of  the  resins.  It  is  there- 
fore essential  that  hops,  to  be  of  value,  should  contain 
these  substances  in  due  proportions. 

"The  percentage  of  tannic  acid  in  hops  is  stated 
by  communications  from  the  Agricultural  Laboratory 
of  Vienna  to  range  from  1.38  to  5.13  per  cent.,  the 
average  being  between  3  and  3.5  per  cent.,  and  this,  so 
far  as  we  know,  is  the  normal  amount  found  in  good 
hops.  The  percentage  of  volatile  oil,  shown  by  the 
analyses  contained  in  the  report  from  the  Austrian 
laboratory  named  above,  ranges  from  0.15  to  0.48,  the 
average  being  about  0.25  to  0.35.  To  these  oils  we 
owe  the  aroma  and  delicate  flavor  of  the  beer. 

"The  bittering  principles  of  hops  are  still  the  sub- 
ject of  considerable  divergence  of  opinion.  According 
to  Hayduck,  the  resins  are  the  essential  bittering  prin- 
ciple, and  as  Hayduck's  researches  are  the  most  recent 
and  are  characterized  by  completeness  and  definiteness, 
it  is  probable  that  his  views  are  more  worthy  of  cre- 
dence than  those  of  the  older  investigators.  Among 
these  is  Lermer,  who  claims  to  have  separated  a  crys- 
talline bitter  acid  from  hops,  to  which  he  attributes 
their  bittering  properties.  The  acid  is  insoluble  in 
water,  but  soluble  in  dilute  alcohol,  imparting  to  the 
solution  an  intensely  bitter  taste. 

"Julich  separated  an  intensely  bitter  substance 
from  hops,  which  was  easily  soluble  in  water.  Bun- 
gener  attributes  the  bitter  to  a  substance  partially  of  an 


COMPOSITION    OF   PLANT   AND   FRUIT. 


LIE 
UNIVEP 

,CALIF< 


58  THE   HOP. 

acid,  partially  of  an  aldehydic  nature.  The  substance 
is  insoluble  in  water,  but  easily  soluble  in  alcohol, 
ether,  etc.  It  is  easily  oxidized  to  valerianic  acid,  and 
Bungener  attributes  the  presence  of  this  acid  in  old 
hops  to  this  cause." 

Various  figures  are  given  for  the  percentages  of 
the  true  bitter  principle,  but  owing  to  the  widely  differ- 
ing opinions  in  regard  to  the  exact  nature  of  the  one  or 
more  bitter  substances  contained  in  hops,  it  is  not 
thought  wise  to  repeat  these  figures.  Hayduck  found 
at  least  three  resinous  bodies  in  hops.  Data  in  regard 
to  the  percentages  of  these  resins  are  not  at  hand,  but 
Blyth  publishes,  in  his  treatise  on  foods,  an  analysis  of 
lupulin  by  Dr.  Yves,  which  shows  30  per  cent,  of  resin. 

Several  analysts  have  devoted  considerable  time  to 
the  detection  of  an  alkaloidal,  or  other  constituent  of 
hops,  which  will  account  for  the  narcotic  or  stupefying 
effect  of  beers,  in  the  brewing  of  which  large  propor- 
tions of  hops  are  used.  Moritz  and  Morris,  in  their 
book  already  mentioned,  state  that  while  this  view  as 
first  announced  by  Graham  is  reasonable,  it  is  not  at  all 
improbable  that  the  higher  alcohols  developed  at  the 
higher  temperatures  prevalent  in  the  English  practice 
of  brewing  are  also  important  factors  in  producing  a 
beer  possessing  a  greater  stupefying  effect  than  the 
lager  beers  produced  on  the  continent. 

Griessmeyer  reported  an  alkaloid  to  which  he  gave 
the  name  of  lupulin.  Griess  and  Harrow  separated  a 
base  from  beer  which  proved  to  be  cholin.  Griess- 
meyer denied  the  presence  of  cholin  as  such  in  hops, 
stating  that  it  exists  combined  with  other  bodies  as 
lecithin,  a  body  of  very  complicated  constitution. 

Southby,  in  his  work  on  practical  brewing,  states 
that  by  distilling  hops  in  a  current  of  steam  he  was  able 
to  obtain  from  1.5  to  2  per  cent,  of  volatile  oil,  quanti- 
ties decidedly  in  excess  of  the  others  given  above. 

Moritz  and  Morris  state  that  the  chemistry  of  hops 


COMPOSITION    OF   PLANT   AND   FKUIT. 


59 


is  still  in  such  an  imperfect  state  that  physical  charac- 
teristics, odor,  color,  etc.,  must  for  the  present  be  relied 
upon  in  the  judgment  of  this  important  brewers'  raw 
material. 

Moritz  and  Morris  have  prepared  a  summary  of 
26  analyses,  which  Wolff  has  published,  of  the  ash  of 
German  hops^.  The  average  per  cent,  of  mineral  mat- 
ter is  7.4,  the  maximum  15.3,  and  the  minimum  5.3. 
Analyses  of  the  ash  showed  the  following  percentage 
composition: 


Mini  inn  in. 

% 

Maximum. 

% 

Average. 

% 

Potash               .          

16  30 

51  60 

34  61 

Soda..         

0.00 

8.80 

220 

Lime 

9  80 

24  60 

16  85 

Magnesia  

1.50 

13.40 

5.47 

Oxide  of  iron 

3  20 

1  40 

Phosphoric  acid            .... 

9.20 

22.60 

16.80 

Sulphuric  acid 

0  00 

12  20 

3  59 

Silica 

10  30 

26  10 

1636 

Chlorine  

1.00 

7.00 

3.19 

Ewell  has  calculated  the  following  data  in  regard 
to  the  fertilizing  constituents  contained  in  the  hop 
plant  from  analyses  contained  in  the  second  part  of 
Wolff's  "Aschen  Analysen:" 

ANALYSES  SHOWING  THE  FERTILIZING  CONSTITUENTS  CONTAINED  IN 
THE  HOP  PLANT  (female)  AND  ITS  VARIOUS  PARTS,  STATED  IN 
PARTS  PER  100  OF  THE  AIR-DRIED  MATERIAL. 


Ash. 

Nitrogen. 

Potash. 

(K20) 

Phosphoric 
acid. 

(P205) 

In  hops      

6.33 
10.50 
3.12 
6.49 
3.54 

3.22 
3,46 
1.57 
2.50 
3.33 

2.45 
2.01 
1.08 
1.59 
0.53 

1.18 
0.36 
0.23 
0.38 
1.23 

Leaves  

Stems   

Whole  plant  

"Spent"  hops  

60 


THE   HOP. 


CHAPTER  V 

THE   CLIMATE   AND     SOIL    FOR   HOPS 


HE  hop  abhors  continuous 
heavy  fog  or  too  much 
humidity  in  either  air  or  soil, 
yet  so  rapid  a  grower  must 
not  suffer  for  want  of  water. 
Light  fogs  two  or  three 
times  a  week  seem  to  favor 
hops,  and  to  them  Flint  at- 
tributes the  fine  color  so 
characteristic  of  Pacific  coast 
hops.  Winters  that  kill  the 

root  stocks  are  unfavorable.  A  climate  that  allows  the 
root  to  rest  from  its  labor,  but  enables  it  to  make  an 
early  start  in  spring  without  danger  from  late  frosts, 
an  atmosphere  free  from  excessive  clouds  and  humid- 
ity, with  abundant  sunshine,  not  too  dry  as  harvest 
approaches,  with  an  absence  of  early  frosts — there  the 
hop  thrives  and  there  blights,  mold  and  lice  are  reduced 
to  a  minimum. 

Hence  the  superiority  of  certain  limited  regions 
in  California.  Oregon  and  Washington  are  apt  to 
have  too  much  moist,  hot  weather  toward  harvest. 
New  York's  climate  is  quite  favorable  on  the  average 
of  years,  but  winterkilling  is  common.  A  climate  in 
which  corn  (maize)  does  its  best,  is,  in  the  United 
States,  about  right  for  hops,  but,  as  Clark  truly  says,  a 
great  many  soils  and  climates  that  are  good  for  corn 
are  bad  for  hops.  English  yards  suffer  most  seriously 
from  too  much  atmospheric  moisture.  The  same  is 
often  true  in  Europe.  Yet  the  tables  of  humidity,  tem- 

61 


62  THE    HOP. 

perature  and  precipitation  afford  no  guide  to  climatic 
adaptability  to  the  hop.  Yield,  quality  and  price  fluc- 
tuate quite  regardless  of  meteorological  statistics.  We 
have  spent  much  study  over  this  point,  comparing 
domestic  and  foreign  weather  figures  with  crop  data, 


HBR 


FIG.  25.      TANK  FOR  DIPPING  HOP  POLES  TO  PREVENT   ROT. 

Steppington  hop  farm,  near  Canterbury,  Kent,  England. 

but  without  being  able  to  draw  therefrom  conclusions 
of  any  practical  value. 

THE    BEST    SOIL    FOR    HOPS 

This  important  subject  has  been  considered  for 
the  present  work  by  Prof.  E.  W.  Hilgard,  director  of 
the  California  experiment  station,  whose  knowledge  of 
soils  is  not  excelled,  and  who  writes  as  follows: 


CLIMATF;    AND   SOIL   FOR  HOPS.  63 

California — "As  to  Sacramento  county:  Hops  are 
grown  almost  wholly  on  the  higher  alluvial  lands  of  the 
Sacramento  river,  which  are  gray,  pulverulent,  silty  or 
sandy  lands,  with  scarcely  any  noticeable  change  from 
soil  to  subsoil  for  several  feet.  Most  of  these  lands  lie 
near  .the  river,  where  the  land  is  higher  than  farther 
out;  but  some  of  the  'bench  lands'  beyond  the  over- 
flowed region  also  yield  excellent  hops  of  the  yellow 
silky  character,  while  low-lying  lands,  not  so  well 
drained,  yield  a  green  product,  which  is  less  valued  in 
commerce. 

"As  to  Sonoma  county  and  a  portion  of  Mendo- 
cino  to  northward,  the  hop-growing  lands  are  in  the 
main  the  higher  alluvial  lands  of  the  Russian  river, 
greatly  resembling  in  their  nature  those  of  the  Sacra- 
mento just  referred  to;  they  are  grayish,  silty  soils, 
uniform  to  several  feet  depth,  well  drained  and  of  high 
fertility.  The  town  of  Hopland  in  southern  Mendo- 
cino  on  the  Russian  river  is  one  of  the  prominent  grow- 
ing centers,  yielding  a  very  high  quality. 

"In  Alameda  county  only  a  small  area  is  devoted 
to  hop  culture.  It  is  located  near  the  towns  of  Pleas- 
anton  and  Sunol  on  the  alluvial  lands  of  Alameda  creek, 
which  are  likewise  of  a  fine  sandy  or  silty  character 
and  well  drained,  as  there  is  but  little  water  in  the 
stream  beds  in  summer,  and  their  banks  are  high. 

"The  oldest  hop-growing  region  in  the  Pacific 
northwest  is  the  valley  of  the  Puyallup  river  in  Pierce 
county,  Washington.  Here  also  the  soils  are  alluvial 
ones,  of  a  sandy  or  silty  nature,  of  gray  tint,  very  easily 
tilled  and  of  considerable  depth  above  bottom  water, 
say  from  seven  to  ten  feet.  The  Puyallup  bottom  was 
originally  quite  heavily  timbered. 

"The  lands  where  the  hop  is  grown  in  King 
county.  Wash.,  lie  on  the  lower  Cedar  and  Dwamish 
rivers,  and  to  northward  on  the  borders  of  Lake  Wash- 
ington to  the  Snoqualmie  river.  Like  all  the  lands  ol 


64  THE   HOP. 

the  Puget  Sound  region,  these  lands  are  of  a  light  and 
sometimes  sandy  nature;  the  sand  consists  of  the  pul- 
verized rock  of  the  Cascade  range  adjacent." 

In  Oregon,  the  hop  lands  of  the  Willamette  valley 
generally  are  light  yellowish  loams  of  great  depth,  and 
even  the  alluvium  of  the  streams,  like  the  Santiam, 
bears  much  the  same  character,  though  commonly 
lighter  in  texture  than  the  lands  of  the  main  valley.  It 
is  conceded  in  Oregon  that  soil  of  a  sandy  nature  pro- 
duces the  best  quality,  while  the  heaviest  yield  is  to  be 
obtained  from  the  heavier  bottom  lands  composed  of 
decayed  vegetation  and  deposits  of  sediment,  brought 
down  from  the  uplands  and  spread  over  this  soil  by  the 
overflowing  of  the  streams.  The  most  perfect  soil  is 
a  sandy  loam  which  is  easy  to  cultivate  and  is  rich 
enough  to  produce  a  good  crop  of  choice  hops  without 
the  aid  of  fertilizers. 

In  New  York  State,  and  indeed  everywhere,  a  deep 
sandy  loam  is  preferred,  the  deeper  the  better  for  a  crop 
with  such  a  deep-growing  root  system.  A  clayey  loam 
is  also  excellent  if  it  contains  enough  sandy  loam  to 
prevent  baking  and  packing  during  drouth.  A  strong 
loam  in  which  corn  thrives  is  generally  good  for  hops, 
provided  it  is  well  drained.  Its  shallow  root  system 
enables  corn  to  do  well  over  a  subsoil  that  would  be 
too  wet  for  hops,  which  also  dislike  too  much  gravel 
in  the  soil  or  a  hardpan  subsoil. 

In  Great  Britain,  the  variation  and  yield  in  quality 
of  hops  in  different  soils,  even  between  adjoining  fields, 
is  often  most  marked.  This  is  equally  true  in  New 
York  state,  Otsego  and  Schoharie  counties  usually  pro- 
ducing the  best  hops.  In  New  York,  as  in  England, 
the  lands  now  under  hops  have  proven  to  be  the  best 
after  centuries  of  hop-growing.  The  limits  of  the  Eng- 
lish hop  lands  are  sharply  defined  geologically. 

In  the  finest  East  Kent  region,  says  Whitehead, 
the  soil  is  clay,  loamy  clay,  and  sandy  loam  upon  the 


CLIMATE   AND    SOIL   FOR   HOPS.  65 

Thanet,  Woolwich  and  Oldhaven  beds,  which  crop  up 
here  and  overlie  the  chalk  on  the  backbone  of  Kent. 
As  the  chalk  appears  again  with  a  thin  and  gradually 
decreasing  surface  of  loam,  the  hop  land  becomes  less 
valuable,  and  at  a  short  distance  from  this  point  hops 
are  not  cultivated  at  all  until  the  bastard  East  Kent 
district  begins,  where  the  hops  produced  are  of  inferior 
quality  as  compared  with  East  Kent  hops  proper,  being 
grown  upon  useful,  somewhat  heavy  soils,  lying  for 
the  most  part  upon  the  belt  of  gault  alternating  with 
the  Folkestone  beds  intervening  between  the  chalk  and 
the  weald  clay.  Below  Canterbury  there  is  a  district 
between  Challock  and  Barham  where  hops  of  first-class 
quality  are  grown,  upon  loams  of  a  lighter  character 
resting  on  the  chalk.  The  crops  here  are  not  so  heavy 
as  those  yielded  on  the  deep  loam  and  brick  earth  in 
the  Faversham  district  of  East  Kent,  and  the  plants 
will  not  take  such  long  poles,  but  the  quality  is  most 
excellent.  The  "weald  of  Kent"  is  so  named  because 
of  its  soils  resting  largely  on  the  geological  formation 
called  weald  clay;  they  are  clayey  loams,  sandy  clays, 
more  or  less  tenacious  and  stiff  (these  latter  require 
expensive  drainage),  with  occasional  patches  of  loam 
and  alluvium. 

So,  too,  in  Germany,  the  hop  is  more  grown  on 
clayey  soils,  well  drained,  than  the  average  American 
planter  would  think  possible.  In  Saatz  and  other 
famous  Bohemian  districts  the  soil  is  a  reddish  clay 
containing  considerable  iron,  elevated  about  800  ft 
above  sea  level  and  protected  from  cold  north  winds. 

LOCATION    OF    A    HOP    YARD 

Let  it  be  naturally  protected  against  prevailing 
wind  storms,  especially  from  the  north  and  west.  A 
heavy  wind  will  badly  whip  the  vines.  (See  "lewing," 
in  Chapter  X.)  Very  often  this  point  is  quite  neg- 

5 


66 


THE  HOP. 


i 
S 


o* 

d 


CLIMATE   AHD   SOIL  FOR  HOPS.  67 

lected  in  setting  a  hop  yard,  when  it  might  just  as  well 
have  been  attended  to. 

Of  course  the  site  must  be  sunny  and  warm,  and 
chosen  with  reference  to  the  least  possible  danger  from 
early  and  late  frosts.  The  rows  should  run  in  a  south- 
erly direction,  that  the  sun  may  freely  penetrate  the 
foliage  to  the  utmost  extent. 

The  main  root  is  a  deep  feeder,  its  lateral  and  sur- 
face roots  covered  with  fine  rootlets  that  utilize  the 
food  in  the  upper  layers  of  soil.  Hence  the  need  of  a 
well  drained  soil — the  hop  abhors  wet  feet — and  a  soil 
of  open  texture,  that  air  and  water  may  freely  penetrate, 
to  aid  in  rendering  available  to  the  plant  the  elements 
stored  up  in  the  earth.  Yet  so  gross  a  grower  must 
have  a  sufficiency  of  moisture  and  drouthy  lands  may 
well  be  provided  with  irrigation. 

PREPARATION    OF    THE    SOIL 

for  a  new  hop  yard  is  a  more  serious  matter  where  the 
soil  is  not  of  just  the  right  character.  In  Kent,  expen- 
sive underdraining  is  often  necessary  to  insure  the 
needed  openness  of  subsoils.  Comparatively  light 
yields  in  New  York  and  in  Germany  are  partly  due  to 
a  moist  or  impacted  subsoil.  In  such  lands,  thorough 
subsoiling  to  a  depth  of  18  inches,  or  even  more,  should 
precede  planting.  It  is  not  much  practiced,  but  is  to 
be  highly  recommended.  If  subsoiling  is  needed  for 
the  sugar  beet,  which  is  dug  in  one  season,  how  much 
more  is  it  needed  for  the  hop,  whose  roots  go  much 
deeper,  but  are  not  disturbed  for  from  six  to  twenty 
years,  or  longer? 

It  has  also  been  suggested  that  subsoiling  between 
the  rows  in  early  spring  would  be  an  admirable  way  of 
rejuvenating  an  old  "root-bound"  yard,  at  least  on 
heavy  soils.  But  Clark,  speaking  for  New  York  con- 
ditions, says:  "I  disagree  very  strongly  with  subsoiling 
between  the  rows,  or  even  deep  plowing  of  an  estab- 


68 


THE   HOP. 


lished  yard,  as  that  space  is  filled  with  large  bed  roots, 
and  deep  culture  cuts  them  off,  which  is  very  injurious. 
I  have  seen  them  16  feet  long  in  my  own  yard.  Otten- 
heimer  says  that  for  the  Pacific  coast,  plowing  deep 
when  setting  out  the  yards  is  right,  but  afterward  it  is 
injurious  to  subsoil  each  spring/' 

The  tendency  is  also  to  slight  the  surface  plowing 
for  a  new  hop  yard,  just  as  thorough  working  of  the 
soil  preparatory  to  seeding  down  to  grass  for  several 
years  is  too  commonly  neglected.  While  experts  dif- 
fer as  to  the  propriety  of  putting  the  plow  into  a  yard 
once  it  is  well  established,  every  intelligent  grower 
realizes  that  before  the  roots  are  set  affords  the  best 
chance  to  thoroughly  work  the  soil.  The  English 
realize  this  and  practice  accordingly  in  preparing  for 
hops,  just  as  they  do  in  preparing  for  the  permanent 
meadows  for  which  old  England  is  famous.  The  Ger- 
mans are  not  so  particular. 


FIG.  27.      PICKING  HOPS  IN   KENT,  ENGLAND. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

FEEDING    THE    HOP    PLANT 

HE  hop  is  a  rank  feeder.  The 
most  of  its  growth  is  made 
in  less  than  90  days.  This 
growth  is  marvelous  for  its 
luxuriance.  Such  luxury  of 
foliage  is  necessary  if  the 
hops  are  to  have  a  copious 
supply  of  properly  elaborated 
elements  in  the  plant  to 
draw  upon  during  their  ma- 
turity. The  plant  must  be 

fed  for  growth  as  well  as  for  fruit,  the  one  being  de- 
pendent upon  the  other,  but  avoid  such  treatment  as 
will  force  it  to  "run  to  vine"  too  much.  These  points 
have  only  to  be  recognized  to  realize  the  necessity  for 
proper  soil,  appropriate  fertilization  and  correct  meth- 
ods of  culture. 

Of  course  a  virgin  soil  filled  with  fertility,  or  re- 
newed by  an  annual  overflow  or  by  irrigating  with 
water  naturally  rich  in  the  elements  of  plant  food,  re- 
quires little  or  no  manuring.  Such  is  the  present  con- 
dition of  many  of  the  newer  yards  on  the  Pacific  coast, 
but  it  is  only  a  question  of  time  when  even  they  will 
require  manuring.  How  best  to  feed  the  hop  on  the 
more  or  less  exhausted  lands  of  the  eastern  states  and 
of  the  old  world  is  a  problem  upon  which  we  have  com- 
paratively little  exact  data.  The  experiment  stations 
in  Bohemia  are  attacking  this  problem,  likewise  the 
Wye  Agricultural  College  in  Kent  and  a  little  has  been 
done  in  Germany,  but  American  experiment  stations 

69 


THE    HOP. 


seem  to  have  largely  ignored  the  problem  of  fertilizing 
the  hop.  Let  us,  then,  first  consider  the  elements  of 
plant  food  contained  in  the  vines  and  hops  of  an  aver- 
age crop,  basing  our  table  on  the  analyses  on  Page  71 


FIG. 


PICKING  HOPS. 


and 


on  the  average  relative 
vines  and  hops  obtained  from 
growers  in  New  York  state: 


weight    per    acre  of 
a    dozen  experienced 


FEEDING   THE   HOP   PLANT. 


A  GOOD  CROP  OF  HOPS  WILL  TAKE  FROM  AX  ACHE  OF  LAND 


Cured  hops. 

Vines  and 
leaves(air-dry) 

Total  . 

Weight  of  crop 

/6s. 
1,000 

Ibs, 
1  000 

/6s. 
2,000 

iXitrogen.  .        .        •  •  

33 

25 

58 

Potash.             

25 

19 

44 

Phosphoric  acid  
Lime,  magnesia  &  other 
ash  eleinen  ts  

12 

30 

7 
42 

19 

72 

Tot.  removed  toy  crop 

100 

93 

193 

These  are  astonishing  figures.  Their  significance 
can  be  best  judged  by  comparison  with  the  plant  food 
removed  from  an  acre  by  other  crops  under  equally 
good  culture,  it  being  assumed  that  the  hop  vines,  like 
potato  vines  and  cornstalks,  are  returned  to  the  soil: 

PLANT  FOOD  REMOVED    FROM   AN  ACRE  BY  SEVERAL  CROPS 


CROP. 

Hops 

Hav. 

Corn. 

Potatoes. 

Yield  per  Here 

1  000  Ibs 

li  tons 

40  bu 

250  bu 

Nitrogen   Ibs 

33 

42 

41 

30 

Potash   Ibs  .   .. 

25 

45 

10 

45 

Phosphoric  acid.  

12 

8 

16 

11 

How  few  hop  planters  in  New  York  state  realize 
that  for  a  good  crop  of  hops  they  must  manure  as  heav- 
ily as  for  40  bushels  of  corn  per  acre,  simply  to  supply 
what  is  taken  from  the  soil  by  the  dry  hops.  If  we 
consider  both  vines  and  hops,  we  get  this  table, 
showing: 

COMPOSITION    AND    QUANTITY    OF    MANORIAL    SUBSTANCES     REQUIRED 
TO  SUPPLY  WHAT  AN  ACRE  OF  HOPS  TAKES  FROM  THE  SOIL 


Pounds. 

Substance. 

Will  furnish 

Nitrogen. 

Potash. 

Phos.  acid. 

2,000 
2,000 
1,000 
1,000 
5  tons 
100 
100 

Hop  rrop  

Ibs. 
58 
52 
70 
55 
50 
4 
0 

/6s. 
44 
32 
20 
14 
40 

50 

Ibs. 
19 
60 
30 
17 
30 
23 
10 

Wheat  bran 

Cottonseed  meal  
Linseed  meal  
Barnyard  manure  
Bone  meal 

a  Wood  ash  

«This  weight  of  wood  ash  (containing  only  12%  water)  will  supply 
the  full  amount  of  potash  taken  off  by  the  hop  crop  (vines  and  hops) 
but  no  nitrogen;  the  other  weights  given  will  furnish  the  full  amount 
of  nitrogen,  but  more  or  less  of  potash  and  phosphoric  acid  than  the 
crops  take  off,  except  in  the  case  of  bone  meal. 

Stable  manure  is  the  form  of  plant  food  preferred 
by  both  European  and  American  hop  growers.     In 


72  THE   HOP. 

compact  soils  horse  manure  is  best,  because  of  its  me- 
chanical effect  in  lightening  the  soil  as  well  as  furnish- 
ing food  to  the  plant.  Sheep  manure  is  excellent  for 
sandy  soils.  Ordinary  mixed  stable  manure  is  plowed 
under  lightly  in  starting  a  new  yard,  when  the  soil  is 
at  all  poor.  The  amount  should  be  all  one  can  possi- 
bly afford,  and  then  a  little  more;  no  danger  of  getting 
on  too  much  before  planting  a  new  yard.  In  New 
York  from  10  to  20  tons  per  acre  of  stable  manure  are 
applied  in  starting  a  new  yard,  in  England  15  to  25 
tons,  and  in  Germany  eight  to  18  tons. 

After  the  yard  is  established,  fall  application  of 
stable  manure  is  best  on  most  soils.  The  common  prac- 
tice is  to  put  a  shovelful  or  two  of  manure  on  top  of 
each  hill  in  late  autumn,  to  be  scattered  about  the  hill 
and  worked  into  the  soil  at  first  grubbing  in  spring. 
Green  (fresh)  manure  should  not  be  used,  as  it  holds  the 
frost  too  long  in  spring,  will  not  work  readily  into  the 
soil,  and  interferes  with  cultivation.  In  cold  regions 
this  protects  against  winterkilling,  and  in  case  of 
drouth  protects  the  roots  by  retaining  moisture.  The 
manure  washes  down  about  the  roots  and  aids  a 
prompt  and  early  start,  but  if  cold  weather  follows,  this 
may  result  in  stopping  the  flow  of  sap  and  arresting 
the  growth  of  the  plant.  On  very  sandy  soils,  such 
dressings  may  be  quite  exhausted  before  the  plant  blos- 
soms out,  and  the  vine  has  no  reserve  of  fertility  with 
which  to  develop  its  hops. 

In  addition  to  this  autumn  manuring  on  the  hills, 
a  dressing  of  manure  broadcast  is  highly  recommended, 
to  be  worked  into  the  soil  at  the  first  cultivating.  If 
the  soil  is  very  light  and  leachy,  broadcast  the  manure 
in  early  spring,  but  if  fairly  strong  loam,  midwinter 
spreading  is  best.  In  Germany  a  liberal  mulch  of 
strawy  manure  is  often  applied  after  cultivating  is  fin- 
ished, especially  on  drouthy  lands.  Its  preservation 
of  soil  moisture  is  quite  as  useful  as  the  food  it  fur- 


FEEDING    JH.j   HOP   PLANT.  73 

nishes  the  plant.  Such  a  dressing  must  not  be  so  rich 
as  to  cause  the  plant  to  run  to  vine  to  the  detriment  of 
its  production  of  hops. 

Comparison  of  the  analyses  printed  on  Page  71 
with  the  analyses  of  Kent  Goldings  and  Sussex  Grape 
hops  grown  in  England,  shows  wide  variation  in  the 
total  per  cent,  of  ash  of  vine,  leaves  and  cones  between 
different  varfeties  and  even  the  same  variety  grown 
on  different  soils.  We  find  no  analyses  to  indicate 
the  variation  caused  by  different  forms  of  plant  food, 
but  it  is  quite  probable  that  the  influence  of  the  form  of 
food  upon  the  hop  plant  is  more  noticeable  in  its  brew- 
ing qualities  or  its  organic  composition  than  in  the 
proportion  of  ash  or  nitrogenous  matter.  This  is  an 
extremely  interesting  point  upon  which  scientific  exper- 
imentation will  doubtless  throw  much  light.  On 
general  principles,  however,  it  would  seem  ex- 
pedient to  employ  the  least  objectionable  forms  of  plant 
food,  when  agricultural  chemicals  or  commercial  fer- 
tilizers are  applied. 

Potash  is  needed  to  excess,  owing  to  the  great  de- 
mands upon  this  element  by  the  plant,  and  probably 
the  carbonate  of  potash,  as  in  cottonhull  ashes  or  un- 
leached  wood  ashes,  is  for  many  reasons  preferable.  Of 
the  potash  salts,  the  high-grade  sulphate,  which  is 
much  freer  from  chlorine  than  the  muriate,  is  perhaps 
best.  Yet,  there  is  a  large  amount  of  chlorine  in  the  hop, 
and  should  it  be  scientifically  demonstrated  that  the 
presence  of  a  liberal  amount  of  this  element  was  essen- 
tial to  certain  desirable  qualities,  then  the  muriate  of 
potash  would  be  used. 

There  seems  to  be  little  reason  for  believing  that 
one  form  of  phosphoric  acid  is  much  better  than  an- 
other for  the  hop  crop,  provided  only  that  it  is  in  a  form 
that  will  be  available  for  the  plant.  Bone  and 
ashes  furnish  both  phosphoric  acid  and  potash,  but  in 
a  slow  form,  and  as  the  hop  is  a  rapid  grower,  and  re- 


THE    HOP. 


quires  an  abundance  of  available  food  early  in  the  sea- 
son, it  is  probable  that  the  application  of  potash  salts 
and  dissolved  boneblack  or  other  quick-acting  phos- 
phate would  be  beneficial.  This  quick  fertilizer  should 
be  applied  very  early  in  the  spring,  while  bone  and 
wood  ashes  should  be  put  on  in  the  fall. 

COMPOSITION  OF  HOP  MANURING   SUBSTANCES 

The  figures  show  the  per  cent,  or  pounds  of  each  element  in  100  pounds 
of  the  substance  named  in  first  column. 


Substance. 

Nitrogen 

Potash 

Phos.acid 

Lime 

Magnesia 

Wheat  bran  

2.6 

1  6 

3.0 

0  2 

0.9 

Cottonseed  meal...  . 
Linseed  meai.  

7.0 
5.5 

2.0 
1.4 

3.0 
1.7 

03 

0  4 

1  0 

08 

Rape  meal  .... 

5  1 

1  3 

2  0 

0  7 

0  7 

Barnyard  manure  ... 
Bone  meal  
c  Boneblack  dis'lved 
c  Phosphate  rock.dis. 
Tankage.  .  . 

0.5 
4.0 
0.0 
0.0 
6.7 

0.4 
0.0 
00 
0.0 
00 

0.3 
23.0 
17.0 
15.0 
12.0 

0.5 
31.0 
25.0 
23.0 
14.0 

0.1 
1.0 
0.7 
0.0 
0.0 

Dried  blood  

10.0 

0.0 

2.0 

0.8 

0.2 

Wood  ash  unleached 
Cotton  hull  ash  

]\  <i  i  D  it  .  ... 

0.0 
0.0 
0,0 

5.0 
22.0 
13  5 

2.0 

8.0 
0  0 

34.0 
100 
1  2 

34 
11.0 
10.0 

aMuriate  of  potash,, 
c  6  Sulphate  of  pot'sh 
d  Nit  rate  of  soda  
c  Sulphate  of  am'nia 

0.0 
0.0 
15.7 

20.5 

51,0 
33,0 
0.0 
0.0 

0.0 
0.0 
0.0 
0.0 

0.0 
0.2 

cO.O 
eO.O 

a  Contains  48%  chlorine,      b  No  chlorine, 
d  Contains  much  soda,    e  Traces. 


c  Rich  in  sulphuric  acid. 


The  hop  is  a  great  consumer  of  lime,  yet  the  ap- 
plication of  lime  to  hop  yards  is  comparatively  rare. 
We  see  no  reason  why  it  is  not  advisable,  unless  the 
soil  is  known  to  contain  an  excess  of  lime.  This  ele- 
ment is  equally  important  in  tobacco  culture,  where  the 
use  of  lime  is  considered  indispensable.  Probably  the 
best  form  is  oyster-shell  lime,  provided  it  can  be  ob- 
tained at  a  nominal  price.  Otherwise,  good  air-slaked 
lime  can  be  used,  or  the  fine  ground  gypsum  (land 
plaster);  from  TOO  to  300  pounds  of  lime  per  acre,  ap- 
plied in  the  fall,  is  sufficient,  usually.  Most  soils  prob- 
ably contain  sufficient  soda,  but  if  not,  it  is  a  prominent 
composition  of  many  potash  salts. 

It  may  be  desirable  to  add  magnesia  to  some  soils, 
in  which  case  the  double  sulphate  of  potash  and  mag- 
nesia should  be  used  instead  of  kainit,  muriate  or  sul- 
phate of  potash  alone. 


FEEDIKG   THE   HOP   PLANT.  75 

Perhaps  the  most  striking  need  0f  the  plant  is  for* 
nitrogen.  We  have  no  data  to  show  to  what  extent, 
if  any,  the  hop  plant  is  able  to  take  its  nitrogen  from 
the  atmosphere,  as  do  certain  leguminous  crops.  But 


FIG.  29.     IRRIGATING  HOPS,  MAKING  A  LITTLE  WATER  MOISTEN 
MANY  ROWS  OF  PLANTS. 

we  do  know  that  it  is  a  gross  consumer  of  nitrogen  and 
that  this  element  must  be  in  a  promptly  available  form 
to  promote  the  vine's  luxuriant  growth.  Hence,  the 


76 


THE    HOP. 


importance  of  applying  nitrate  of  soda,  or  sulphate  of 
ammonia  to  give  the  crop  a  quick  start  in  spring,  and 
some  less  soluble  form  of  nitrogen  to  back  up  the  crop 
as  the  season  advances,  such  as  dried  blood,  tankage, 
or  bone  meal. 

In  this  country  a  few  manufacturers  of  commer- 
cial fertilizers  have  attempted  special  mixtures  of  ag- 
ricultural chemicals  for  the  hop  crop,  with  more  or 
less  success.  In  England  special  hop  fertilizers  are  far 
more  common.  We  cannot  recommend  any  one  form- 
iila  as  the  best  for  this  crop  in  different  soils,  but  the 
following  table  contains  the  composition  of  various 
fertilizing  materials,  and  from  the  known  composition 
of  the  hop  plant,  several  mixtures  are  tentatively  sug- 


gested: 


FORMULAS  FOR  MANURING   HOPS 


It  is  fair  to  assume  that,  provided  the  vines  are  carefully  returner! 
to  the  soil,  1,000  Ibs.  per  ncre  of  cured  hops  will  remove  plant  food 
varying  within  the  range  below  stated.  And  to  supply  either  of  these 
would  require  the  mixtures  which  follow: 


Least  quantity,  j 

Form. 

8  tons 

Largest  quantity 

Nitro 
gen 

Pot- 
ash. 

Phos 
acid. 

Nitro 
gen. 

Pot- 
ash. 

Phos 
acid. 

In  1,000  Ibs  of  cured  hops. 
Formula. 
1    Stable  manure      2£  tons 
0  j  Cottonseed  meal   400  Ibs 
*\  Kainit                       200  " 

25 
25 

20 
20 

9 
15 

38 
40 

28 
32 

14 
24 

^w* 

0 

28 
0 

4 

.  27 

~T2~ 
0 

(300  Ibs 

200   •• 

42 
0 

6 

27 

Totals                        600  Ibs 

28 

31 

12 

800  1  bs 

42 

33 

18 

o  (  Linseed  meal          500  Jbs 
3  1  Cottouhull  ash        60  " 

27 
0 

13 

4 

TOOTbs 
100   " 
800  Ibs 

-sr 

0 

~TO~ 
22 

8 
_20_ 
~23~~ 
4 
0 
0 

Totals                       560  Ibs 

27 

20 

12 

38 

32 

f  Bone  meal                  100  Ibs 
4J  Dried  blood               100  " 
*1  Sulphate  potash       40" 
1^  Nitrate  soda               50  " 
Totals                       290  Ibs 

4 

10 
0 

8 

0 
0 
20 
0 

23 
2 
0 
0 

iWTbs 
200   " 
100  •* 
75    " 

20 
0 
12 

0 
0 
33 
0 

22 

20 

25 

475  lb« 

36 

33 

27 

(Sill,  ammonia           HKTIus 
KJ  Wheat  bran               200  *« 
°]  Wood  ash                    200  '• 
^Muriate  potash          20  u 

20 

5 
0 
0 

0 
3 
10 
10 

6 
4 
0 

i50~rUs 
300   >k 
200   " 
30  " 

"30 
8 
0 
0 

0 
5 
10 
15 

9 
4 
0 
13 

Totals                      5201  1  >s 

25 

23 

10 

680  Ibs 

38 

30 

f  Phosphate  rock        100  Ibs 
I  Sulphate  of  potash   60  " 
6<J  Linseed  meal            100  " 
|  Nitrate  soda               50  " 
I^Sul  ammonia              25  " 

0 
0 

5 
8 
12 

~o~ 

20 
1 
0 
0 

15 
0 

1 
0 
0 

100~Tbs 
80  •• 
200  " 
100   " 
60   " 

0 
0 
10 
16 
12 

0 

26 
2 
0 
0 

~15 
0 
1 
0 
0 
~  16 

Totals                      335  Ibs 

25 

21 

16 

640  Ibs 

38 

28 

FEEDING   THE   HOP   PLANT.  77 

Many  other  combinations  of  the  ingredients  men- 
tioned on  Page  76  may  be  made.  But  in  any  formula, 
the  object  should  be  to  supply  the  nitrogen,  potash  and 
phosphoric  acid  in  such  forms  that  part  of  each  element 
shall  be  available  for  the  plant  in  early  spring,  and 
then  from  week  to  week,  as  growth  advances,  but  not 
force  a  growth  when  the  plant  is  maturing  its  cones. 

The  large  proportion  of  nitrogen  contained  in  hop 
vines  is  wholly  lost  when  they  are  burned,  though  the 
mineral  elements  are  retained  in  the  ash.  Since  this 
plant  draws  so  heavily  upon  soil  (or  air)  for  this  most 
expensive  element,  certainly  it  should  be  retained  so 
far  as  practicable  by  plowing  under  the  vines,  provided 
they  are  not  infested  with  germs  of  disease  so  as  to  re- 
quire burning.  Spent  hops  are  specially  rich  in  nitro- 
gen, and  when  they  can  be  had  for  the  hauling,  should 
be  spread  on  the  ground  and  cultivated  under. 

A  great  number  of  other  substances  are  much  used 
in  England  and  on  the  continent,  such  as  shoddy,  waste, 
woolen  rags,  fur  waste,  fish  manure,  and  basic  slag 
from  phosphoric  acid.  Irrigation  may  here  be  prac- 
ticed, for  it  is  essentially  a  feeding  process.  No  matter 
how  much  plant  food  is  in  the  soil,  unless  there  be  suffi- 
cient moisture,  the  crop  cannot  utilize  it.  Moreover, 
the  hop  must  have  an  abundant  supply  of  water,  be- 
cause nearly  nine-tenths  of  the  vine's  weight  consists 
of  water.  Frequent  stirring  of  the  top  soil,  or  a  mulch 
of  strawy  manure,  leaves,  weeds,  cornstalks,  or  any 
such  material,  will  carry  a  crop  through  a  drouth  that 
would  otherwise  be  fatal.  Where  irrigation  is  practiced 
in  California,  the  water  is  run  through  one  furrow  in 
the  middle  of  the  rows,  or  one  on  each  side.  Sometimes 
two  or  three  such  irrigations  are  enough,  again  more 
may  be  necessary,  while  in  a  Colorado  hop  yard,  the 
water  is  turned  on  six  to  nine  times.  If  the  water  sup- 
ply is  scant,  a  very  little  can  be  made  to  irrigate  a  large 
number  of  plants  by  the  device  illustrated  in  Fig.  29. 


78 


THE   HOP. 


FIG.  30.      A  YAKD  ON  THE  SHORT  POLE  SYSTEM. 

At  Watson ville,  Santa  Cruz  Co.,  Cal.  Poles  are  2x3  inches  x  9  feet  long,  of  split 
redwood,  set  2  f t.  in  ground,  8  ft.  apart  square  No  wire  is  used,  only  Mo  18 
cotton  twine,  which  is  fastened  to  pole  6  ft.  from  ground.  The  string  is  run 
in  squares,  and  two  vines  are  left  to  the  hill.  Vines  are  trained  on  poles  up 
to  the  strings.  Mr.  Morse  allows  one  male  vine  to  every  35  female  vines; 
males  are  not  pruned  and  are  given  15  ft.  poles  to  climb.  They  consequently 
grow  very  bushy,  and,  as  they  climb  to  the  tops  of  the  high  poles  set  for  them, 
a  good  distribution  of  pollen  is  secured.  This  short-pole  system  is  not  to  be 
confused  with  either  the  trellis  system  of  overhead  wires,  or  the  long-pole 
method  used  in  Washington,  New  York  and  England. 


CHAPTER  VII 

LAYING   OUT    A    YARD — TRAINING   THE   VINES 


OP  plants  are  usually  planted 
7x7  feet  or  8x8  feet  in  Amer- 
ica and  6x6  feet  in  England 
and  Europe,  but  the  number 
of  hills  may  vary  from  800  to 
1,200  per  acre.  In  New  York 
state  6^  feet  each  way  is  pre- 
ferred by  some  experts. 

Cn  the  Pacific  coast  in 
very  few  yards  are  hop  roots 
planted  less  than  seven  feet 

apart,  and  in  a  great  many  yards  the  rows  are  eight 
feet  apart.  It  has  been  demonstrated  there  that  just  as 
heavy  a  yield  can  be  obtained  from  a  yard  planted  with 
the  roots  seven  feet  apart  as  from  one  6  or  6|  feet  apart, 
notwithstanding  that  in  the  former  there  are  only  889 
hills  to  the  acre,  while  in  the  six-foot  yard  there  are 
1,280  hills.  As  the  most  expensive  part  of  raising  hops 
is  the  work  done  by  hand  on  each  root  and  vine,  such 
as  grubbing,  tying  and  training,  it  can  be  readily  seen 
that  the  expense  to  cultivate  an  acre  of  hops  is  consid- 
erably larger  in  a  six-foot  yard  than  in  a  seven-foot 
one.  Where  the  trellis  system  is  used,  it  requires  a 
great  deal  more  twine  in  the  six-foot  yard.  Another 
objection  is  that  a  team  of  horses  cannot  pass  through 
a  six-foot  yard  without  injuring  the  roots  or  vines.  In 
Oregon,  as  well  as  in  Sonoma  county,  California, 
nearly  all  the  hop  yards  are  set  out  with  the  hills  eight 
feet  apart. 

79 


80  THE    HOP. 

The  method  of  laying  out  the  yard  is  therefore 
much  the  same  everywhere,  though  the  methods  of 
training  the  vines  are  almost  "too  numerous  to  men- 
tion." It  is  important,  in  any  system  of  training,  that 
the  rows  be  perfectly  straight  to  facilitate  clean  culture. 
Now,  let  us  assume  that  the  field  is  ready  for  stak- 
ing out  . 

Set  plain,  distinct  posts  at  the  four  corners  of  the 
plat;  then  take  a  long  wire  with  a  stake  at  each  end, 
and  at  a  distance  of  every  seven  feet  tie  a  piece  of  flan- 
nel or  cloth,  to  be  easily  seen.  From  one  corner  stake, 
sight  in  a  direct  line  to  the  other  corner  stake,  pull  the 
wire  tight  and  firmly  set  in  the  ground.  Put  in  a  peg 
about  a  foot  long  at  each  marker  on  the  line  and  then 
again  continue  the  line  in  the  same  way,  pegging 
until  that  side  is  pegged.  Next,  from  that  corner  stake 
and  at  right  angles,  take  the  side  to  the  corner  stake 
at  the  other  end  of  that  side,  as  above  described,  peg- 
ging as  you  go  on.  Then  from  each  of  these  outside 
rows  of  pegs,  start  to  the  other  side,  having  set  up  a 
stake  to  sight  to,  seven  feet  distant  each  time.  When 
both  sides  are  thus  completed,  the  field  will  be  pegged 
out  as  illustrated  in  Fig.  43. 

The  land  may  be  marked  off  similarly  by  a  variety 
of  means.  Mr.  Clark  writes:  "Make  a  marker  in  the 
form  of  a  bob  sled,  with  short  runners  of  one  and  one- 
half  inch  ash  with  a  light  shoe.  Bore  a  hole  through 
the  runners  about  a  foot  from  the  back  end  and  about 
two  inches  from  the  lower  end,  so  as  to  be  able  to  put 
devices  in  to  help  make  better  marks.  The  top  of  the 
marker  should  be  made  of  stout  i^-inch  ash  boards 
for  the  driver  to  stand  upon.  Place  an  iron  handle  on 
the  center  of  the  back  so  as  to  help  in  lifting  the  marker 
around  at  the  ends  of  the  field  to  the  center  of  the  front 
side.  Fix  an  upright  standard  about  four  feet  high  for 
the  driver  to  take  hold  of;  it  will  also  serve  as  a  guide. 
After  fixing  on  a  pole  for  a  pair  of  horses  the  marker 


LAYING   OUT   A   YARD. 


81 


is  ready.  It  is  a  good  plan  to  have  a  couple  of  boys 
standing  at  about  equal  distances  across  the  hop  yard 
with  flag  stakes  so  that  the  driver,  when  standing  on 
the  marker,  can  look  between  the  horses'  heads  and  see 
the  stakes.  By  so  doing,  he  can  make  two  very  straight 
marks  and  also  get  over  the  ground  very  rapidly.  The 


FIG.  31.      TRAINING  HOPS  IN  KENT. 

land    should    be  marked   both  ways,  but  never  with  a 
plow,  or  one  row  will  be  narrow  and  one  wide." 

If  poles  are  used,  one  or  two  poles  are  inserted  at 

each  hill ;  the  single  pole  is  now  most  common  in  New 

York,  but  two  poles  per  hill  are  much  used  abroad, 

leaning  outward  from  each  other  so  the  hops  will  not 

6 


82  THE   HOP. 

mass  together  at  the  top.  Cedar  poles  are  most  dur- 
able; in  Washington  they  are  sawed  out  or  split  about 
3x3  inches,  16  feet  or  more  in  length,  for  the  long  pole 
system,  and  10  feet  long  for  the  short  pole.  An  eight- 
penny  nail  is  driven  in  the  top,  projecting  out  about  an 
inch,  in  the  short  or  stake  system;  on  the  long  pole, 
about  a  foot  from  its  top,  put  through  a  peg  a  foot  long 
and  three-fourths  of  an  inch  thick  for  the  vine 
to  cling  to.  This  and  the  sharpening  of  the 
poles  is  done  in  the  woods  or  at  the  mill. 
In  California  and  Oregon  the  poles  are  split  in 
the  same  manner  as  fence  rails.  Redwood  poles  are 

A. 


FIG.  32.   HORIZONTAL  HOP  YARD,  NEW  YORK. 

quite  extensively  used  in  California,  and  they  last  an 
indefinite  length  of  time.  In  some  yards  the  same  poles 
have  been  used  for  the  last  25  years.  In  Oregon  those 
growers  who  adopt  the  pole  system  use  young  firs, 
which  grow  abundantly  in  that  state.  They  aim  to  get 
a  pole  three  inches  thick  and  about  sixteen  feet  long. 
In  New  York  and  abroad,  round  poles  are  used,  from 
saplings,  and  are  not  as  high  as  those  on  the  coast. 

Stand  the  poles  upright  in  a  tank  containing  two 
feet  of  creosote  or  coal  tar,  and  let  them  simmer  over 
a  slow  fire  for  a  night;  this  will  prevent  the  butts  from 
rotting  and  is  a  big  saving.  Cedar,  ash,  redwood,  chest- 


LAYING   OUT   A   YARD.  83 

nut,  maple,  oak,  alder,  and  birch  are  esteemed  in  the 
order  named  for  hop  poles. 

On  the  Pacific  coast,  when  a  crop  is  picked  the 
first  year,  poles  are  set  before  the  roots  are  planted, 
which  prevents  injury  or  disturbing  the  roots  after- 
ward. With  a  long  dibble  having  a  steel  sharpened 
point,  a  hole  js  made,  about  eighteen  inches  deep,  into 
which  the  pole  is  stuck  and  left  vertical.  A  man  will 
set  about  600  poles  per  day.  A  short  stake  is  set  the 
tenth  hill  in  every  tenth  row  to  indicate  when  a  male 
root  is  to  be  planted. 

In  New  York,  England  and  Europe,  poles  are  not 
set  until  the  second  year,  care  being  taken  to  set  the 
poles  in  the  north  side  of  the  hill  every  time,  as  the 
men  cultivating  before  the  hops  are  up  will  know  bet- 
ter where  the  hills  are  and  will  not  be  so  apt  to  damage 
them.  In  later  years  also  the  men  when  setting  the  poles 
will  know  better  wrhere  to  find  the  old  holes.  For  a 
short  pole  yard,  the  stakes  could  be  cut  (for  economy's 
sake,  split)  ten  or  more  feet  long,  that  they  may  be  long 
enough  to  use  after  once  rotting  off.  The  outside  rows 
should  have  larger  stakes  and  be  set  very  deep  and 
solid. 

Twine  is  run  across  the  top  of  the  poles  both  ways, 
being  attached  to  the  nail,  or  some  merely  wind  it 
around  the  poles  at  a  height  of  7  to  7^  feet  from  the 
ground  (Fig.  32).  After  the  first  year,  not  more  than 
four  vines  should  be  trained  to  each  hill  by  this  system, 
and  where  the  soil  is  extra  heavy,  two  will  be  found 
preferable.  At  the  first  and  second  trainings,  all  sur- 
plus vines  should  be  either  pulled  out  or  cut  off  beneath 
the  surface.  The  vines  generally  require  training  twice 
before  reaching  the  twine,  and  the  vines  should  be 
trained  at  least  twice  on  the  twine.  In  training  on  the 
twine  the  first  time,  it  is  best  to  take  the  vines  from  the 
stake  above  the  twine,  and  after  passing  them  across 
over  one  twine,  bring  them  down  under  the  second 


84  THE  HOP. 

twine  and  train  out  on  the  second  twine.  This  causes 
the  vines  to  arch  over  the  twine  and  prevents  them  from 
pulling  down  on  the  twine  next  the  stake,  thereby  pre- 
venting the  twine  from  either  breaking  or  stretching, 
which  would  cause  the  hill  to  slide  to  the  ground  when 
heavy  with  the  weight  of  full-grown  hops. 

There  are  several  modifications  of  the  short  pole 
and  twine  method.  A  popular  one  consists  of  driving 
a  nail  (slanting  downward)  into  the  pole  only  about 
four  feet  from  the  ground,  tying  the  string  to  the  top  of 
the  next  pole,  and  so  on.  Drive  the  nail  first  into  the 
first  pole  in  the  first  row,  then  go  to  the  second  hill 
in  the  opposite  row,  then  back  to  the  third  hill  in  the 
first  row,  and  so  on  across  the  yard,  doing  two  rows 


FIG.    33.      OTSEGO  (N.   Y.)  GRUB  HOE. 

at  once.  Begin  by  tying  the  twine  to  the  first  nail,  run 
the  top  of  the  twine  up  the  next  pole  with  a  "twiner,"  as 
far  as  convenient,  carrying  it  around  the  pole  and  try- 
ing to  catch  the  twine  over  a  knot  to  hold  it;  draw  up 
the  twine  close,  then  drop  from  the  top  of  the  pole  down 
to  the  nail  in  the  next  pole.  Step  up  to  it  and  give  the 
twine  a  half  hitch  or  loop  around  the  nail,  then  run  the 
twine  up  to  the  top  of  the  next  pole,  down  to  the  next, 
and  so  on  across  the  yard,  until  all  are  finished  in  the 
same  way.  Then  turn  and  go  across  in  the  same  man- 
ner, getting  the  effect  shown  in  Fig.  3.  By  this  sys- 
tem, Clark  claims  that  more  hops  can  be  grown,  they 
will  mature  earlier,  be  richer  and  brighter,  will  arm  out 
lower  down,  and  the  arms  will  be  longer  and  not  apt  to 
snarl  up.  They  will  fill  up  in  the  middle  with  soft, 
white,  undeveloped  hops  and  will  make  better  pick- 
ing, and  are  not  as  leafy. 


LAYING    OUT    A    YAEI).  85 

Still  other  modifications  of  the  twine  system  are 
used  in  England  and  on  the  continent,  which 
are  sufficiently  explained  in  the  accompanying 
illustrations.  By  whatever  method  twine  is 
used  in  these  systems,  a  device  for  tying  the 
string  about  the  poles  is  useful.  It  consists  of  a 
strong  but  light  pole,  eight  to  12  feet  long,  with 
screw  eyelets  like  a  fly  rod,  and  a  bag  or  bas- 
ket at  the  bottom  that  will  hold  a  ball  of  twine 
snugly  (see  Fig.  34).  A  good  12-ply  cotton 
string  is  used.  More  permanent  methods  of 
training  by  means  of  wire  trellises  are  con- 
stantly coming  into  wider  use.  The  first  cost 
of  these  methods  is  more  than  for  the  pole  and 
twine  system,  but  where  hops  are  grown  on  a 
large  scale,  some  form  of  wire  is  probably  the 
more  economical.  It  is  claimed  also  that  the 
hop  vines  can  be  kept  open  to  the  sun  more 
thoroughly  by  trellises  than  by  the  string  sys- 
tem. There  is  also  considerable  saving  in 
labor,  after  the  method  is  once  established. 
Spraying  can  also  be  done  more  thoroughly 
when  the  vines  are  spread  out  on  proper  trel- 
lises  than  when  they  grow  more  closely 
FIG.  34.  together,  or  simply  on  poles.  Again,  the  hops 
TWINE  are  not  wind-whipped  as  readily;  it  is  claimed 
OLE*  that  they  mature  earlier,  can  be  picked  cleaner, 
and  come  down  in  better  condition. 

Whitehead  says:  "One  arrangement  of  wires 
and  string  is  much  adopted  in  East  Kent.  It  consists 
of  stout  posts  set  at  the  end  of  every  row  of  hop  stocks, 
and  fastened  with  stays  to  keep  them  in  place.  At  cer- 
tain intervals  in  each  row  a  post  of  similar  size  is  fixed. 
From  post  to  post  in  the  rows  wires  are  stretched  at  a 
height  of  half  a  foot  from  the  ground  and  at  a  height 
of  six  feet  from  the  ground,  and  again  from  the  tops  of 
each  post;  so  that  there  are  three  lengths  of  wire  in  all. 


86 


THE   HOP. 


Upon  these  wires,  hooks  are  fastened  or  'clipped'  at 
regular  intervals,  so  that  cocoanut  fiber  string  can  be 
threaded  onto  them  horizontally  from  the  lower  to  the 
next  wire,  and  in  a  vertical  direction  from  this  wire  to 
the  top  lateral  wire  of  the  next  row.  The  string  as 
threaded  on  the  hooks  is  continuous,  no  knots  are  nec- 
essary, and  it  is  put  on  the  hooks  of  the  top  wires  with 
a  'stringer.'  The  first  cost  of  this  is  about  $200  per 
acre." 

Another  method  is  that  shown  in   Fig.  35,  and 
practiced  extensively  in  England  and  Germany.     By 


Bop  Plant^  I 


t/op  /V.IUI 

FIG.  35.      KENTISH  WIRE    TKELLIS. 


this  method,  wires  are  fastened  only  to  the  tops  of  the 
posts,  and  twine  is  run  down  to  pegs  in  the  ground, 
these  being  more  simple  and  less  expensive  than  the 
system  just  described.  The  stay  pole,  or  what  the 
English  call  "the  dead  man,"  must  be  very  firmly  set 
and  the  end  pole  braced  to  it  by  wire.  In  New  York 
this  method  is  further  simplified  by  setting  poles  18  to 
20  inches  deep  every  sixth  hill,  running  a  single  wire 
along  them  from  nine  to  15  feet  above  ground,  and  two 
strings  only  running  into  a  small,  wooden  or  wire  plug 
driven  firmly  near  the  hop  plant.  The  latter  idea 


LAYIKG   OUT   A   YARD. 


87 


has  been  still  further  improved  upon  by  the  Pleasanton 
Hop  Company,  Alameda  county,  California.  As  this 
concern  is  one  of  the  largest  hop  growers  in  the  world, 
and  has  made  many  improvements  in  the  industry,  we 
are  fortunate  in  being  able  to  devote  Chapter  IX  to  an 
exact  statement  of  its  modus  opcrandi,  carefully  pre- 
pared for  this  work  by  Mr.  Davis,  superintendent  of  the 
Pleasanton  Hop  Company. 


FIG.   36.      KENTISH  HOP  YARDS. 

Two  poles  to  a  hill  and  string. 


THE   HOP. 


FIG.   37.      THE  HOP  ROOT  STOCK. 

a,  Main  stock;  6,  base  of  last  year',-  irro"  th  of  vine;  c,  where  the  vine  was  cut  Off 
when  the  stock  was  trimmed  r.p  for  the  new  growth;  d,  tuberous  appendages. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

PLANTING     AND     CULTURE 

OP  roots  raised  from  seed  are 
preferred  by  a  very  few  in 
starting  a  new  hop  yard.  The 
seed  used  should  of  course 
be  of  good  quality.  It 
should  be  perfectly  ripe  and 
taken  from  well-developed 
canes  of  vigorous  specimens 
of  the  same  species,  all  of 
which  have  arrived  at  ma- 
turity together.  By  so  do- 
ing, there  is  a  better  chance  of  obtaining  plants  which 
will  develop  and  mature  at  the  same  time.  This  point  is 
important,  as  affecting  cultivation  and  the  expenses  of 
picking  the  crop. 

The  seed  should  be  sown  in  a  hotbed  frame,  either 
broadcast  or  in  rows;  the  soil  should  be  light,  well- 
manured  and  thoroughly  pulverized.  If  the  seed  be 
sown  in  rows,  the  spaces  should  be  marked  out  with  a 
line  about  two  or  three  inches  apart  and  about  a  quar- 
ter of  an  inch  deep.  If  sown  broadcast,  the  method  in 
use  in  sowing  all  fine  seeds  should  be  adopted.  The 
seeds  should  be  covered  by  means  of  a  rake,  the  back 
of  which  may  be  used  to  gently  press  down  the  soil, 
after  which  the  teeth  may  be  used  to  mellow  the  ground 
still  further.  The  seed  should  not  be  covered  by  more 
than  an  eighth  of  an  inch  of  earth.  A  little  chopped 
straw  should  be  spread  over  the  surface  in  order  to 
prevent  the  seed  being  exposed  or  the  plants  washed 
out  when  watered.  Watering  is  indispensable  to  main- 

89 


90  THE   HOP. 

tain  the  earth  in  a  proper  state  of  humidity  for  the  ger- 
mination of  the  seeds  and  for  the  development  of  young 
plants.  When  sown  broadcast,  the  seed  must  be  cov- 
ered up  with  a  rake  and  operated  upon  as  if  sown  in 
rows.  The  seeds  germinate  in  six  weeks  and  the 
plants  are  ready  for  use  the  following  month.  They 
should  then  be  put  out,  but  will  yield  no  crop  until  the 
following  year. 

Hop  roots  for  planting  are  usually  cut  from  old 
stocks  or  runners.  From  such  cuttings  fully  99  per 
cent,  of  the  yards  are  planted.  The  hop  roots  should 
be  cut  into  pieces  from  four  to  five  inches  long,  with 
two  sets  of  eyes  on  them  (that  is,  two  joints),  one  for 
the  roots,  the  other  for  the  vines.  It  is  more  accurate 
to  say  that  the  lower  roots  grow  from  the  extreme 


FIG.    38.      HOP  VINE  STOCK  FOE  TRANSPLANTING. 

lower  ends,  or  from  little  pimples  on  the  side.  Great 
care  should  be  taken  to  have  the  sets  of  strong  consti- 
tution, in  prime  condition,  and  absolutely  true  to  name. 
Before  being  planted,  the  sets  should  have  their  roots 
properly  trimmed  and  dead  growth  removed.  They 
are  dug  out  a  few  days  prior  to  planting,  so  as  to  get 
a  trifle  dry,  to  prevent  them  from  bleeding  to  death 
when  planted.  Of  course,  they  must  not  get  dry 
enough  to  destroy  the  life  in  them,  and  it  is  also  im- 
portant that  they  be  whole  and  good.  In  California's 
dry  climate,  the  roots  are  set  out  as  soon  as  ready,  or 
"heeled  in,"  to  prevent  drying.  If  fresh-cut  sets  are 
planted,  sifting  plaster  (gypsum)  over  them  is  often 
done. 


PLANTING  /:ND  CULTURE. 


91 


Opinions  vary  as  to  what  constitutes  the  best  root. 
On  the  coast,  a  root  is  preferred  that  is  cut  from  near 
the  outer  end  of  the  runners  and  the  roots  should  all 
be  of  near  the  same  length  and  free  from  split  or  bruise. 
The  ends  should  be  cut  perfectly  smooth,  and  each  root 
should  have  not  less  than  three  or  four  sets  of  eyes  and 
one  set  of  eyes  should  be  near  the  upper  end  of  the 
root.  In  England  and  Canada,  these  cuttings  are  at 
once  planted  six  inches  apart  in  nursery  rows  two  feet 
apart,  the  roots  being  removed  and  leaving  only  three 
or  four  eyes  around  the  stalk.  These  stalks  will  make 
roots  and  a  moderate  growth  of  vine,  and  will  be  ready 


FIG.    39.      THE    HOP  STOCK. 

«,  Rootstock;  6,  vine  stock;  c,  dead  part  of  last  year's  vine  cut  off ;  d,  roots  sep- 
arated or  cut  off  by  grubbing. 

for  transplanting  the  next  fall  or  early  spring.  Each 
root  will  then  be  a  crown;  that  is,  one  that  has  carried 
a  vine,  not  a  sucker.  Sometimes,  when  sets  are  very 
dear,  the  pieces  of  root  cut  off  in  the  spring  are  planted 
out  at  once  without  having  been  put  in  a  nursery;  this 
is  frequent  on  the  coast,  but  is  not  practiced  at  the  east 
or  abroad.  Sets  are  more  often  cut  direct  from  old 
roots. 

There  are  several  methods  of  planting  the  sets.  One 
is  to  make  a  hole  14  inches  deep,  with  a  hop-bar,  put 
in  a  handful  of  fertilizer,  partly  fill  the  hole  with  loose 
soil,  and  set  the  roots  on  end,  with  the  top  even  with 


92  THE    HOP. 

the  surface  of  the  ground,  eyes  sticking  up  and  tops 
spread  apart.  This  way  of  setting  will  produce  a  hill 
with  the  crowns  close  together,  which  is  a  great  advan- 
tage over  the  old  way  of  planting,  where  the  crowns 
grow  a  foot  or  more  apart.  Besides,  roots  set  in  this 
way  will  not  be  affected  by  drouth,  because  most  of 
the  root  is  much  deeper  in  the  ground  than  planted 
ones.  The  old  way  is,  if  the  pole  was  previously  set, 
to  dig  out  the  soil  about  six  inches  deep  on  the  south 


a  b  c 

FIG.  40.      TOOLS  FOR  MAKING  HOLES  FOR    SETTING  POLES, 
a,  Wooden  bar  with  iron  point;  6,  hole  augur;  c,  pointed  dibble. 

side,  spread  out  the  roots  carefully,  eyes  up,  cover  to 
crown,  about  an  inch  deep,  and  level  with  the  surface, 
and  firm  it  with  back  of  hoe.  If  covered  too  deep, 
the  sets  may  smother. 

In  England,  square  holes  are  made  with  a  spade, 
their  exact  center  indicated  by  a  stick,  and  the  sets 
are  pressed  in  firmly  with  hand  and  foot,  an  inch  or  two 
of  the  sets  being  left  above  ground,  a  practice  that  is 


PLANTING   AND   CULTURE.  93 

not  followed  in  this  country,  although  it  is  to  some  ex- 
tent in  Germany.  Some  farmers  plant  the  roots  in  the 
same  way  as  potatoes  by  simply  dropping  them  in  the 
mark.  But  they  are  apt  to  dry  up  or  remain  dormant 
for  a  long  time,  in  a  dry  season.  They  will  thus  get  a 
late  start  and  make  a  feeble  growth ;  the  runners,  more- 
over, are  agt  to  shoot  out  a  good  deal  from  the  hill, 
thus  getting  the  hill  out  of  place. 

In  Washington,  the  yard  is  planted  by  shoving  a 
spade  deep  into  the  ground  on  the  same  side  of  each 
hill  peg,  and  setting  two  roots  in  the  hole  thus  made, 
placing  one  in  each  side  of  the  spade  hole,  and  then 
pressing  the  soil  firmly  around  them.  Care  is  taken  to 
get  the  roots  set  perpendicularly  and  the  right  end  up, 
or  on  a  slight  angle  pointing  to  center  of  hill,  and  the 
top  end  covered  one  or  two  inches  below  the  surface 
and  level  of  the  ground. 

Planting  should  be  done  as  early  in  the  spring  as 
possible,  because  the  hills  will  thus  get  a  much  stronger 
growth  and  the  crop  of  the  following  year  will  be  from 
25  to  50  per  cent,  larger  than  from  late  planted  hills. 
Fall  planting  is  the  rule  in  England  and  on  the  conti- 
nent. In  California,  planting  is  done  in  January  and 
February,  and  further  north  during  March  and  April. 
About  three  bushels  of  good  roots  may  be  allowed  for 
planting  one  acre  of  ground.  There  should  always  be 
three  or  four  rows  planted  across  the  field  (between 
the  hop  vines),  with  hills  that  are  two  feet  apart.  This 
will  give  a  supply  of  extra  roots  that  can  be  taken  up 
the  following  spring  to  fill  in  the  missing  spots  where 
some  hills  may  have  died  out.  A  nursery  should  also 
be  planted  every  year,  so  as  to  have  sets  to  fill  in  any 
of  the  missing  hills  the  following  spring. 

If  the  new  plantation  is  not  to  yield  a  crop  of  hops 
the  first  year,  poles  are  not  set,  but  stakes  12  or  15 
inches  high  are  driven  in  the  north  side  of  each  hill  to 
mark  its  location.  The  space  between  the  rows  is  then 


94 


THE  HOP. 


planted  to  some  hoed  crop.  Corn  is  frequently  grown, 
but  is  objectionable  because  of  its  heavy  shade.  Beans 
are  better,  because  they  do  not  shade  the  plants  so 
much  and  do  not  rob  the  soil.  Potatoes  are  often  used 
also,  or  lettuce  and  other  small  crops  are  grown  under 
intensive  culture.  The  small  marking  stakes  will  do 
for  the  young  vines  to  twine  about.  Clean  culture 
is  to  be  carefully  pursued  the  first  year. 
Weed  out  the  hop  rows  and  place  a  little 
fresh  dirt  around  them,  but  do  not  work  the  hoe 
very  deeply  about  the  young  plants.  Even  if  the  soil 
is  rich,  it  is  wisest  not  to  grow  any  other  crop  the  first 
year,  and  certainly  not  thereafter,  for  the  plants  will 


FIG.   41.      FORMS  OF  HOP  KNIVES. 

need  all  the  fertility  the  soil  contains.  At  least,  it  must 
be  very  liberally  manured  if  a  catch  crop  is  raised  the 
first  year. 

If  the  new  plantation  is  to  be  worked  for  a  crop  of 
hops  the  first  year,  its  culture  is  practically  the  same  as 
the  treatment  of  an  old  or  second-year  hop  yard  after 
the  grubbing  out.  See  Chapter  VI  for  particulars 
about  manuring  or  fertilizing. 

CULTIVATION    DURING   THE   SECOND    TEAR 

In  the  spring  of  the  second  year,  dress  out  the 
hills  with  a  four-tined  fork  and  work  in  the  manure 
thoroughly,  being  sure  to  cover  up  the  shoots,  as  both 
freezing  and  hot  suns  will  do  them  considerable  harm. 


PLANTING   AND   CULTURE. 


95 


Some  plow  the  soil  away  from  each  side  of  the  plants, 
but  even  when  this  is  done  with  care,  Clark  and  others 
protest  against  ever  putting  a  plow  into  the  hop  planta- 
tion. They  prefer  to  remove  the  fall  dressing  to  one 
side  of  the  hill,  then  with  a  grub  hook  (Fig.  44)  loosen 
and  remove  the  earth  from  around  the  hill  to  the  depth 
of  three  or  four  inches,  pulling  up  and  trimming  off  the 
surface  runners  and  cutting  off  (with  knife  like  one  of 
those  shown  in  Fig.  41)  the  crown  or  top  an  inch  or 
two,  as  shown  in  Fig.  42.  The  old  manure  is  now 
worked  into  the  soil  about  the  hill  and  the  plant  cov- 
ered with  fine  earth.  The  English  use  a  special  tool 


FIG.  42.      PLANTS  TJNTRIMMED  AND  TRIMMED. 

(Fig.  45)  for  hauling  the  fine  earth  over  the  trimmed 
plants.  Any  dead  roots  must  be  replaced,  also  diseased 
or  decaying  ones.  This  is  the  proper  method  of  "grub- 
bing out"  every  spring. 

An  important  point  is  thus  stated  by  Whitehead: 
"It  is  well  not  to  'dress'  hop  plants  too  early,  as,  if  the 
shoots  or  bines  are  forward,  they  are  exposed  to  the 
action  of  spring  frosts,  which  will  either  cut  them  up, 
or  blacken  and  spoil  them,  or  make  them  'sticky/  m> 
kindly,  and  more  liable  to  blight  and  mildew.  The 
French  vine  cultivators  dread  the  influences  of  white 
frosts  upon  the  young  and  tender  shoots  of  the  vines, 


96 


THE    HOP. 


which  are  most  pernicious,  especially  if  the  sun  shines 
on  the  vines  while  they  are  covered  with  dew.  On  the 
other  hand,  if  the  plants  are  dressed  very  late,  and  cold, 
dry  weather  comes  in  May,  as  is  sometimes  the  case, 
the  bines  get  behind  and  cannot  make  up  for  lost  time. 
But  most  planters  now  hold  that  moderately  late  is  bet- 
ter than  too  early  dressing.  Care  must  be  taken  in 


rv." 

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FIG.  43.   YARD  PEGGED  OUT  FOR  PLANTING. 

dressing  not  to  cut  the  stocks  too  low,  thus  getting  them 
too  much  below  the  ground  level,  nor  too  high,  so  that 
they  are  much  above  it.  The  dressing  knife  should 
be. kept  very  sharp  to  give  a  clean  cut,  as  in  all  prun- 
ing." While  this  advice  is  good  for  England,  Europe 
and  eastern  United  States,  on  the  coast  we  prefer  to 
grub  early,  owing  to  the  fact  that  we  have  not  the  ex- 
treme cold  or  heat  that  is  liable  to  injure  the  young 
shoot. 


PLANTING   AND   CULTURE.  97 

Perfect  culture,  from  grubbing  until  the  crop  is 
laid  by,  is  so  important  that  we  cite  the  various  meth- 
ods in  vogue  in  all  sections. 

Washington. — Says  Hart:  "As  soon  as  the  shoots 
appear  and  are  up  about  12  inches,  commence  to  train 
them  by  tying  loosely  with  hop  twine  to  the  poles,  nip- 
ping off  all  but  two  vines  (some  growers  prefer  only 
one).  If  you" find  some  roots  have  not  sprouted,  exam- 
ine and  replace  with  others  at  once.  This  training  must 
be  continued  until  the  vines  have  attained  a  height  of 
some  six  feet,  and  even  then,  some  of  them  may  want 
training  to  prevent  them  breaking  off.  If  the  short 
pole  system  is  in  operation,  you  must  now  twine  the 
yard,  immediately  after  the  second  training,  when  vines 
are  about  four  feet  high.  Long  poles  are  not  twined. 
Immediately  after  the  first  training,  take  a  steady,  gen- 
tle horse,  with  an  eight-inch  plow  (this  is  large  enough 
for  the  first  time),  and  run  a  furrow  on  each  side  of  the 
hills  about  one  foot  from  the  poles,  throwing  the  soil 
from  the  hills,  and  then  repeat  on  the  lines  of  poles 
across  on  each  side. 

"This  done,  then  by  hand  and  a  pronged  hoe,  work 
around  the  square  untouched  by  the  plowing  at  the  foot 
of  each  pole,  being  careful  to  use  a  tool  wrhich  will  not 
hurt  the  root.  This  will  prevent  weeds  growing  around 
the  vine.  Next,  take  a  steady,  reliable  team,  and 
with  a  spring-tooth  harrow  cultivate  between  the  rows, 
both  ways,  and  thus  thoroughly  loosen  the  soil.  This 
should  be  done  twice  during  the  growth  of  the  vine  to 
the  top  of  the  pole  or  peg.  Now,  take  your  team  and 
plow  up  to  the  hills  on  each  side  and  both  ways  and 
then  follow  both  ways  with  a  drag-tooth  harrow.  By 
this  time  your  vines  will  be  at  the  top  of  the  short  poles 
or  to  the  peg  of  the  long  poles,  and  it  is  near  time  to 
commence  spraying.  When  the  hops  are  in  the  burr 
and  forming,  the  yards  should  be  gone  over  twice  with 
the  spring-tooth  harrow  and  both  ways  to  keep  down 
the  weeds."  7 


98  THE   HOP. 

Oregon. — Wolcott  thus  summarizes  his  own  and 
the  general  practice:  "Cultivation  consists  of  first 
plowing  the  yard  early  in  the  spring  with  two  horses 
and  a  turning  plow,  throwing  the  dirt  away  from  the 
hill,  then  level  down  with  either  a  cultivator  or  harrow 
and  then  cross-plow  the  same  and  level  down  again. 
After  this,  the  yard  should  be  gone  over  every  two  or 
three  weeks  with  either  a  good  cultivator  or  heavy 
disk  harrow  until  about  June  20,  when  all  cultivation 
should  cease,  as  cultivation  after  that  date  destroys  the 
small  feeders  from  the  roots,  which  commence  to  shoot 
out  near  the  surface  and  fill  the  space  between  the  hills. 


FIG.   44.      AMERICAN  GRUB  HOOKS. 

Destroying  these  will  cause  the  hops  to  take  another 
start  and  make  them  late  in  ripening.  After  all  cultiva- 
tion is  done,  the  ground  should  be  gone  over  each  way 
with  a  clod  masher  or  smoother,  made  the  right  width 
to  go  between  the  rows  without  damaging  the  vines. 
This  levels  and  firms  the  soil  and  prevents  evaporation 
during  the  long  dry  spell  of  July  and  August.  The  hop 
hills  should  be  hoed  as  often  as  is  necessary  to  keep 
down  the  weeds,  and  if  none  is  permitted  to  go  to  seed 
for  a  few  years,  this  will  become  a  very  small  task." 

California  methods  are  very  similar.     From  three 
to  five  cultivations  are  given,  according  to  condition  of 


LASTING   AND   CULTURE: —  99 

soil  and  weeds.  Every  effort  is  made  to  keep  the  soil 
open  to  a  depth  of  four  or  six  inches,  and  absolutely 
free  of  weeds.  Hand  hoe  about  the  hills,  to  kill  weeds 
and  lighten  soil  not  reached  by  the  cultivator.  Poled 
plants  are  usually  hilled,  but  for  the  stake  and  trellis 
system  level  culture  is  generally  preferred.  See  next 
chapter. 

New  York. — Clark  puts  the  best  practice  in  a  nut- 
shell :  "As  soon  as  the  poles  or  stakes  are  set,  start  the 
cultivators,  three  or  four  times  in  a  row,  both  ways, 
and  keep  going  over  the  yard  every  week  until  within 
about  two  weeks  of  picking.  Whatever  may  be  neg- 
lected, don't  fail  to  cultivate,  cultivate,  cultivate,  as  that 
loosens  the  soil,  admits  sun  and  air,  releases  the  plant 
food,  keeps  down  the  weeds  and  advances  and  increases 
the  crop  very  materially.  Late  cultivation  also  helps 
to  bring  the  hops  out  of  burr. 

"About  June  15-20.  apply  a  good,  large  handful  of 
phosphate,  or  fine  ground  bone,  directly  to  the  hill, 
among  the  vines,  provided  the  vines  are  good  strong 
ones;  but  if  they  are  small  or  weak,  place  the  phosphate 
a  little  way  from  the  crown,  because  it  might  burn  and 
injure  weak,  tender  vines.  Then  hill  in  thoroughly, 
and  the  phosphate  being  applied  to  the  crown,  where 
the  grubs  work,  together  with  the  large,  deep  hilling, 
will  help  to  drive  the  grubs  out.  As  soon  as  the  vines 
are  well  up  the  poles,  say  about  four  feet,  cut  off  the 
surplus  shoots,  as  they  will  begin  to  sap  and  weaken 
the  hill.  Then  dress  the  hills  out  nicely  with  a  four- 
tined  fork,  clean  out  all  weeds  and  cover  up  any  white 
hop  sprouts  that  may  be  exposed,  so  as  to  protect  them 
from  the  sun.  If  you  have  kept  the  cultivator  going 
three  or  four  times  in  a  row  every  week  up  to  June 
15-20,  you  have  the  ground  in  a  fine,  clean,  mellow 
condition,  ready  to  fit  up  for  hilling.  To  do  this  thor- 
oughly, run  a  large  horse  hoe  through  the  center  of 
the  rows  both  ways,  apply  your  phosphate  or  bone  as 


100  THE   HOP 

mentioned  before,  and  then  hill  in  thoroughly  and  well 
up  around  the  crown.  If  any  extra  sprouts  have 
started  out  since  the  sprouts  were  cut  off,  hill  them  all 
in  thoroughly,  as  they  will  help  to  keep  the  hill  moist 
and  will  not  bleed  and  weaken  the  hill,  as  they  would  if 
cut  off.  Have  all  vines  kept  well  trained  up  on  the 
poles  or  strings  and  keep  the  cultivators  going  every 


FIG.   45.      FOREIGN  HOP  TOOLS. 


1,  Hessian  pointed  hoe;  2,  English  Canterbury  hoe;  3,  English  spading  fork; 
4,  Bavarian  broad  hoe. 

week,  being  careful  not  tc  dig  into  the  hills  just  formed. 
"About  July  15,  cultivate  and  horse-hoe  thor- 
oughly, the  same  as  the  first  hilling.  Then  apply  to  the 
hill,  among  the  vines,  a  good,  large  handful  of  un- 
leached  ashes  and  hill  in  well.  Cover  up  all  weeds  and 
fill  up  all  holes  that  have  been  dug  out  by  skunks. 


PLANTING    AND    CULTURE.  101 

About  this  time  the  hops  will  be  in  the  burr.  Some- 
times they  hang  there  a  long  time  before  coming  out 
into  the  hop,  and  sometimes  they  fail  to  come  out  at  all, 
or  else  have  small,  knobby  and  inferior  hops.  Cultivat- 
ing, horse-hoeing,  and  hilling  at  this  time  of  the  year 
help  to  bring  them  out  of  the  burr  more  quickly  and 
advance  the^crop  to  maturity.  If  any  storms  blow 
down  the  poles,  they  must  be  set  up  again  as  soon  as 
possible. " 

Abroad,  the  plow  is  seldom  put  into  a  hop  field, 
but  the  soil  is  turned  over  by  hand  with  a  spading  fork 
or  spud  (Fig.  45)  in  late  fall  or  as  soon  as  the  ground 
can  be  worked  in  spring.  As  soon  as  the  vines  have 
been  tied  up,  a  two-horse  cultivator  is  run  quite  deeply 
into  the  ground,  followed  by  a  more  shallow  cultiva- 
tion by  lighter,  one-horse  hoe.  The  latter  is  used  fre- 


FIG.   46.      TYING  KNOT. 

quently  until  mid-July.  The  hand  hoe  is  used  to  keep 
down  weeds  about  the  hills,  and  the  soil  about  the  hills 
not  touched  by  the  cultivator  is  worked  once  or  twice 
with  the  Canterbury  prong-hoe  (Fig.  45).  "Earthing, 
or  putting  earth  over  the  stocks  between  the  poles,  is 
done  by  placing  four  or  five  shovelfuls  of  fine  earth  over 
them  in  June,  to  keep  the  bines  in  their  places  and  to 
ensure  a  growth  of  roots  for  cuttings,  or  sets.  It  also 
stops  the  extraneous  growth  of  bines  from  the  stocks, 
which  would  exhaust  them,  and  keeps  them  in  their 
places."  With  slight  modification,  these  methods  pre- 
vail throughout  Europe  as  well  as  England. 

The  practice  of  running  the  cultivator  deeply  in 
June,  so  as  to  break  up  the  mass  of  fine  rootlets  from 
the  hop  roots,  is  adhered  to  by  many  careful  growers, 
both  in  England  and  on  the  continent.  The  scientific 


102  THE    HOP. 

reason  for  this  practice  has  never  been  given,  but  prob- 
ably is  to  be  found  in  the  theory  that  such  root-cut- 
ting will  force  a  new  and  fresh  growth  of  rootlets,  thus 
enabling  the  plant  to  feed  more  freely  on  the  nutriment 
in  the  soil.  Sturtevant  applied  this  reasoning  to  his 
root-cutting  culture  of  corn  some  20  years  ago,  but  in 
America,  the  theory  finds  few  advocates  in  either  the 
hop  yard  or  corn  field.  The  accepted  plan  is  to  give 
the  hop  rootlets  a  fine,  mellow  bed  in  which  to  flourish, 
with  as  little  molestation  as  possible. 

TYING   UP    THE    VINES 

As  soon  as  the  sprouts  are  up  about  three  feet, 
tying  up  is  in  order.     This     is     generally     done     by 


FIG.  47.     A  HOP  GARDEN  IN  KENT.      TWO  POLES  AND  STRING. 

women,  who  take  the  best  and  most  thrifty  vines  and 
wind  them  carefully  around  the  pole,  going  with  the 
sun,  and  tie  them  loosely  with  some  soft  material — 
matting  bast,  dried  rushes,  etc.  Tie  with  a  knot  like 
Fig.  46,  which  will  slip  before  it  will  cut  the  vine.  The 
number  of  vines  per  pole  varies  from  one  to  six,  the 


PLANTING   AND    CULTURE.  103 

larger  number  being  where  the  training  is  on  such  a 
system  as  Fig.  50.  Only  the  strongest  vines  should 
be  tied  up,  the  others  being  buried  (not  pulled  up), 
though  one  or  two  may  be  left  for  reserve.  The  leaves 
on  these  buried  vines  will  rot  in  a  few  days,  making 
manure,  and  the  vines  will  make  cheaper  food  for  the 
grub  than  those  running  up  the  pole.  These  buried 
vines  throw  out  small  roots,  and  help  to  feed  the  plant, 
and  may  furnish  sets  the  next  year.  The  yard  must  be 
looked  over  every  few  days  to  keep  the  vines  well 
trained  up  and  the  heads  must  be  kept  free. 

In  the  Fig.  3  system,  when  the  vines  get  about 
eight  or  10  inches  above  the  nail,  divide  them  and 
place  two  on  each  string  and  two  up  the  pole,  and  then 
continue  training  until  they  get  out  of  reach  of  the  men 
standing  on  short  stepladders.  In  the  improved 
trellis  system  (Fig.  50),  the  vine  has  only  to  be 
given  a  fewr  gentle  turns  around  the  strings  and  there- 
after winds  itself  to  the  top  without  further  assistance 
— a  point  vastly  in  favor  of  this  system. 

A  few  days  after  the  hops  are  laid  by,  that  is,  after 
the  principal  cultivation  has  ceased,  the  yard  should 
be  gone  over  and  all  leaves  and  arms  should  be  cut  off 
up  to  the  height  of  a  person's  head.  This  will  let  the 
sun  in  underneath  and  will  help  in  a  great  measure  to 
keep  down  the  ravages  of  the  hop  lice,  as  they  first  ap- 
pear on  the  vines  near  the  ground.  In  Washington, 
many  growers  turn  sheep  into  their  yards  and  let  them 
eat  off  the  leaves  as  high  as  they  can  reach.  This  is  a 
very  cheap  method  of  cleaning  the  yard  underneath, 
but  where  sheep  cannot  be  had,  a  sharp  knife  must  do 
the  work.  Flint  cautions  Californians  not  to  trim  off 
leaves  unless  foliage  is  very  thick  and  ground  very  wet. 


104 


THE   HOP. 


FIG.   48.     PICKING  HOPS  GROWN  ON  STRINGS  AND  TRELLIS, 
CALIFORNIA. 


CHAPTER  IX 


METHODS    OF    THE    PLEASANTON     HOP    COMPANY 

[General  statement  of  methods  of  cultivation,  etc.,  employed  by  the 
Pieasanton  Hop  Co.,  at  their  yards  in  Alameda  County,  Cal.] 

LEAKING— The  vines  are 
cut  as  soon  after  picking  as 
practicable,  generally  during 
November  when  weather 
conditions  and  natural  influ- 
ences have  killed  the  vines 
so  as  to  prevent  flow  of  sap 
from  the  root.  The  vines 
are  cut  at  a  point  about  16 
inches  from  the  ground;  the 
remaining  portion  of  the  old 

vine  is  cut  at  the  crown  of  the  root  at  pruning  time  in 
spring,  while  the  portion  that  is  cut  as  above  mentioned 
in  November,  is  immediately  piled  and  burned,  leaving 
the  yard  clean  and  ready  for 

(2)  Plowing,  which  usually  commences  about  Feb- 
ruary i,  with  light  two-horse  single  lo-inch  plows.  The 
earth  is  thrown  by  plow  away  from  the  roots  toward 
center  of  row,  as  this  method  facilitates  the  work  of 

(3)  Grubbing  the  roots,  which  is  done  by  digging 
around  the  hills  with  a  two-tined  grape  hoe,  completely 
removing  the  earth  from  crown  of  root,  care  being 
taken  not  to  bruise  the  main  root,  which  is  then  ready 
for 

(4)  Pruning — This   operation  consists   of  remov- 
ing with  a  sharp  knife  all  the  surplus  small  roots  or 
''suckers"  and  cutting  down  the  old  wood  of  the  previ- 
ous year's  growth,  so  as  to  make  a  new  crown,  from 
which  start  the  vines  intended  for  hop  bearing. 

105 


106  THE   HOP. 

Re-setting — Wherever,  during  the  grubbing  proc- 
ess, a  hill  is  found  to  be  defective  or  "missing,"  re-set- 
ting is  done  by  planting  three  new  roots  or  cuttings. 
These  cuttings  are  about  six  to  seven  inches  in  length, 
and  are  planted  so  that  the  top  of  root  is  about  level 
with  the  ground,  and  with  the  buds  of  the  root  pointing 
upward. 

(5)  Covering  or  Hilling — Immediately  after  prun- 
ing, as  the  work  progresses,  the  roots  are  lightly  cov- 
ered with  earth,  using  an  ordinary  hoe  and  making  little 
mounds  of  earth,  which  serve  to  show  the  hop  hills. 

(6)  Cross-Plow — After  hilling,  it  is  usual  to  cross- 
plow  the  hop  yard,  also  away  from  the  hills,  leaving  it 
in  good  shape  for 


FIG.   49.      ORCHARD    CULTIVATOR. 

(7)  Cultivation — This  has  to  be  done  at  least  twice 
or  more,  according  to  the  season.  The  cultivators  used 
hef*e  are  all  iron  two-horse  No.  3  McLean  orchard  cul- 
tivators (Fig. 49),  having  seven  or  nine  standards,  which 
can  be  used  with  either  diamond  shape  or  chisel  teeth. 
A  cut  of  the  implement  is  shown  herewith.  The  opera- 
tion of  cultivating  also  levels  the  land  and  returns  the 
earth,  which  has  been  plowed  away  from  the  roots  (see 
plowing).  Now,  to  understand  subsequent  operations, 
it  is  necessary  to  describe  the 

Trellis — The  hop  roots  are  planted  seven  feet 
apart,  and  at  every  sixth  row  a  redwood  pole  6x6  and 


THE   PLEASA.KTOX   HOP   COMPANY. 


107 


20  feet  long  is  placed,  being  sunk  two  feet  in  the 
ground,  and  projecting,  therefore,  18  feet  above.  The 
poles  are  thus  42  feet  apart  each  way.  All  poles  are 
dipped  three  feet  in  asphaltum  tar  at  their  planting 
end  before  being  set.  Heavy  galvanized  No.  2  wire  is 
stretched  across  the  tops  of  the  poles  in  one  direction 
(east  and  west),  being  fastened  to  the  top  of  each  pole 
with  2^-inch  wire  staples.  Directly  over  each  row  of 
hops  and  resting  upon  this  No.  2  wire,  a  smaller  wire 
of  No.  6  size  is  drawn  (north  and  south)  and  is  fastened 


cDcnmcbcndp  ? 

FIG.   50.      PLEASANTON  TRELLIS,   SIDE  AND  END  VIEWS. 

to  the  larger  wire  wherever  it  crosses  the  latter.  This 
fastening  is  done  with  small  pieces  of  No.  18  wire.  All 
interior  posts  are  upright,  while  the  outside  rows  of 
supporting  wire  poles  incline  at  an  angle  of  30  degrees 
from  the  perpendicular. 

These  supporting  wires  run  in  one  direction  only 
(east  and  west),  and  after  winding  around  the  head  of 
the  outside  poles,  at  which  point  the  wire  is  spliced, 
the  wires  pass  at  a  downward  angle  of  50  degrees  (or 
outward  40  degrees  from  the  perpendicular)  to  the 


108  THE   HOP. 

anchors.    The  supporting,  or  main-wire,  outside  poles, 
the  same  as  all  interior  poles,  are  42  feet  apart. 

The  transverse,  or  trellis,  wires,  to  which  are 
attached  the  strings  on  which  the  wires  climb,  run  north 
and  south.  The  trellis  anchor  poles  are  set  at  an  out- 
ward inclination  of  20  degrees,  and  are  placed  only  at 


FIG.  51.      STARTING  OUT    TO  "STRING"  A  WIRE  TRELLIS. 

the  end  of  every  alternating  row  of  hills,  making  the 
distance  between  each  pole  14  feet.  The  anchorage 
angles  of  these  wires  are  the  same  as  those  of  the  sup- 
porting wires.  The  "alternate"  rows  of  hills  have  no 
poles,  the  wires  simply  running  over  the  end  main  or 
supporting  wire  to  the  ground  and  their  anchorages, 


THE   PLEASANTOK   HOP   COMPAXY.  109 

at  the  same  angle  as  in  the  other  cases.  The  support- 
ing wires  are  re-inforced  at  the  anchorages  by  six- 
strand,  five-eighths-inch  wire  cables,  spliced  around 
the  head  of  the  outside  anchor  poles  and  running  to  the 
anchors,  together  with  the  supporting  wire. 

The  trellis  wires  that  run  to  poles  are  re-inforced 
by  a  No.  4  wire,  joined  to  the  poles  as  above,  and  run- 
ning with  the  trellis  wire  to  their  anchorages.  The 
alternate  trellis  wires  above  referred  to  as  not  having 
any  poles,  have  no  re-inforcement  at  their  anchorages. 
All  anchors  are  6x6  redwood,  are  four  feet  long  and 
are  buried  five  feet  in  the  ground  (four  feet  deep  we  be- 
lieve to  be  ample).  The  trellis  should  be  erected 
in  blocks  of  not  to  exceed  50  acres,  and  no 
stretch  of  wire  should  exceed  1,500  feet.  It  is 
even  preferable  to  lessen  this  distance,  and  that 
anchorages  be  not  over  1,000  to  1,100  feet 
apart,  in  large  yards,  so  that  they  are  in  squares  of  25 
acres.  This  caution  is  given  because  experience  has 
shown  that  where,  from  any  cause  or  accident,  the  trel- 
lis poles  collapse,  or  main  wires  break,  the  entire  block 
within  such  anchorage  is  almost  certain  to  go  down. 
Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  the  smaller  the  blocks,  the 
greater  the  security;  also  the  shorter  the  stretches  of 
wire,  the  less  the  weight,  and  therefore  the  less  liability 
to  accident. 

(8)  Stringing  begins  about  April  i.  The  method 
employed  here  is  to  tie  three  strings  at  the  overhead 
trellis  w-ire.  The  middle  string  is  run  perpendicularly 
from  hill  to  wire,  while  the  two  outside  strings  run 
from  hill  to  points  about  20  inches  on  either  side  of 
the  middle  string.  The  strings  are  tied  to  the  trellis 
wire  first,  and  then  all  three  are  tied  to  a  loop,  in  a 
wire  stake  about  15  inches  long,  which  is  shoved  in  the 
hill  alongside  the  root. 

(g)  Training — About  May  10,  when  the  new 
hop  vines  are  about  two  feet  long,  so  that  selection  of 


110 


THE   HOP. 


THE  PLEASANTOST  HOP  COMPANY.  HI 

the  strongest  (the  hardiest,  not  the  thickest)  shoots  can 
be  made,  one  vine  is  trained  upon  each  string.  Care 
must  be  taken  to  train  them  as  evenly  as  possible,  from 
left  to  right;  that  is,  following  the  sun. 

(10)  Tuckering — The  surplus  vines  that  are  not 
used  for  hop  bearing  are  pulled  out.  This  operation  is 
also  necessary,  as  new  shoots  appear  during  the  growth 
of  the  vine.  Included  in  this  process,  it  is  usual  to 
remove  the  lower  arms  or  lateral  growths  of  the  vines 
on  the  strings,  to  a  height  of  about  three  feet  from  the 
ground.  Tuckering  is  done  in  order  to  throw  the 
strength  of  the  root  into  the  main  vine  and  arms. 

Culture — During  the  above  described  process,  the 
ground  is  well  worked  and  cultivated  with  one-horse 
shovel  plows  (Fig.  53). 

(n)  Hilling  up — -The  final  work  of  cultivation, 
about  the  first  of  July,  is  to  plow  a  deep  furrow  each 


FIG.   53.      ONE-HORSE    SHOVEL  PLOW. 

side  of  the  vines,  throwing  the  earth  towards  the  roots, 
thus  "hilling  up"  the  roots,  as  in  cultivating  corn,  etc. 
This  is  done  with  an  ordinary  one-horse  plow. 

(12)  Clearing  Wires — When  the  vines  are  pulled 
down  for  picking,  the  string  breaks  close  to  the  wire, 
thus  leaving  small  pieces  of  the  twine  attached  to  the 
trellis  wires.  These  become  saturated  with  water  from 
rain  and  dew  and  hold  moisture,  so  that  rust  forms 
and  weakens  the  wire  at  these  points.  For  this  reason, 
it  is  advisable  to  remove  these  bits  of  cotton  by  burning 
them  with  torches  attached  to  long  poles,  as  soon  after 


112 


THE   HOP. 


harvest  as  possible.  The  gang  that  cleans  the  yard  in 
November  should  perform  this  work,  but  when  this  is 
not  practicable,  these  ends  of  twine  should  be  cut  or 
scraped  when  tying  new  strings  to  the  wire  in  spring. 
Setting  Out  Yard — As  indicated  under  head  of  trel- 
lis, the  main  or  support  wires  should  always  run  east 
and  west  when  possible,  wrhile  the  trellis  or  training 
wires  should  conformably  run  north  and  south,  as  this 
gives  better  sun  exposure  to  the  growing  vines  and 
hops. 


FIG.   54.      INDIAN  HOP  PICKERS  AT  DINNER,   CALIFORNIA 


CHAPTER  X 

PESTS    OF    THE    HOP    CROP. 

[The  matter  on  insects  affecting  the  hop  plant,  up  to  Page  141,  was 
written  for  this^work  by  L.  O.  Howard,  Ph.  D.,  Entomologist  United 
Slates  Department  of  Agriculture.] 


SIDE  from  the  damage  done 
by  the  hop  plant  louse  in  oc- 
casional seasons,  and  a 
rather  infrequent  period  of 
abundance  of  the  so-called 
"h°P  grub,"  the  hop  crop  in 
the  United  States  does  not 
suffer  seriously  from  the  at- 
tacks of  insects.  The  abun- 
dance of  plant  lice  in  gen- 
eral, with  this  species  as 
with  others,  bears  a  direct  relation  to  the  weather,  in 
that  when  the  precipitation  exceeds  the  normal,  the 
lice  are  apt  to  be  more  abundant,  whereas  in  dry  sea- 
sons they  almost  entirely  disappear.  The  same  law 
also  holds  as  to  localities,  and  this  doubtless  accounts 
for  the  fact  that  the  hop  crop  in  England  suffers  more 
uniformly  from  lice  than  it  does  in  central  New  York. 
^The  causes  of  the  occasional  abundance  of  the  grub 
and  of  the  other  less  important  insects  are  not  so  read- 
ily determined. 

Nearly  all  of  the  hop  insects  of  the  United  States 
are  native  to  this  country  and  feed  upon  other  allied 
plants  of  the  family  Urticaccac.  The  hop  plant  louse, 
however,  is  an  exception  and  is  of  European  origin, 
while  there  are  one  or  two  other  European  insects  of 
some  importance  which  feed  upon  this  crop  which  may 
yet  be  introduced  into  the  United  States. 
8  113 


114 


THE  HOP. 


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PESTS   OF  THE   HOP   CHOP.  115 

In  this  country  there  is  no  such  thing  as  an  annual 
drain  upon  the  crop  through  the  work  of  insects,  al- 
though in  an  occasional  season,  as  has  just  been  hinted, 
the  damage  may  be  very  great  through  the  abundance 
of  the  lice.  Such  a  season  was  that  of  1886  throughout 
the  hop  belt  of  New  York  state.  Some  yards  were 
completely  ruined,  while  others  lost  from  one-half  to 
three-quarters  of  the  crop.  In  Oregon  and  Washing- 
ton, after  the  bad  hop  louse  year  of  1890,  Professor 
Washburn  estimated  that  one-twelfth  of  the  crop  of 
the  states  was  ruined  by  lice  and  gave  it  a  cash  value 
of  $365,000. 

THE  HOP  PLANT  LOUSE  (PJiordon  kumuli,  Schrank) 

In  England,  this  insect  has  been  a  serious  enemy 
of  the  hop  crop  for  at  least  200  years.  The  species  is 
probably  indigenous  to  that  country,  and  has  frequent- 
ly been  the  cause  of  the  trouble  known  to  hop  grow- 
ers there  as  "black  blight,"  the  occurrence  of  which 
has  increased  apparently  during  the  last  50  years.  The 
crop  in  1882,  for  example,  was  reduced  from  459,333 
cwts.,  to  114,832  cwts.  The  cost  of  picking  the  crop 
was  reduced  from  £350,000  to  about  £150,000,  so  that 
not  only  did  the  owners  of  the  plantations  suffer,  but 
the  laborers  who  depended  upon  the  hop  picking  were 
very  considerable  losers.  The  insect  was  probably  in- 
troduced into  the  United. States  in  the  early  part  of  the 
present  century,  and  it  is  safe  to  say  that  it  is  one  of 
the  many  species  which  have  been  brought  to  us  upon 
nursery  stock,  since,  as  will  be  shown  later,  the  insect 
hibernates  in  the  egg  state  upon  plum  trees  and  is  thus 
readily  carried  from  one  country  to  another,  or  from 
one  part  of  the  same  country  to  another.  It  was  not 
only  brought  to  America  from  England  in  this  way, 
but  within  recent  years  was  carried  from  the  east  to 
the  far  west.  As  late  as  1888  it  was  the  boast  of  the 
hop  growers  of  Washington  and  Oregon  that  they  did 


116 


THE   HOP. 


not  have  to  contend  against  the  hop  plant  louse,  but 
about  i888or  1889  the  insect  made  its  appearance  there, 
spread  with  the  astonishing  rapidity  characteristic  of 
plant  lice,  and,  in  1890,  accomplished  the  damage 
which  we  have  noted  in  a  previous  paragraph. 

The  life  history  of  this  important  insect  has  been 
fairly  well  understood  in  Europe  for  many  years.  It  is 
remarkable  from  the  fact  it  possesses  a  dual  food-habit, 
living  through  the  summer  only  upon  the  hop  plant 
and  passing  the  autumn,  winter  and  early  spring  upon 
the  plum.  It  is  the  first  species  of  plant  lice  of  which 


FIG.  56.   HOP  PLANT  LOUSE.   FIG.  57.   HOP  PLANT  LOUSE. 

True  female.  Stem  mother. 

Greatly  enlarged.    (From  Insect  L\fe.) 

this  peculiarity  in  life  history  was  definitely  proven, 
although  it  has  since  been  shown  to  be  common 
enough  among  species  found  in  the  summer  time  upon 
annual  plants.  It  is  strange  that  the  discovery  of  this 
mode  of  life  was  not  made  earlier,  since  the  necessity 
should  have  been  obvious  enough  to  anyone  who 
might  think  about  it.  The  necessity  for  this  migration, 
however,  is  even  more  marked  with  the  hop  louse  than 
with  species  feeding  upon  other  annual  plants,  since 
not  only  does  the  hop  vine  die  down  in  the  fall,  but 


PESTS   OF   THE   HOP   CROP.  117 

the  vines  are  generally  pulled  up  and  removed  from 
the  fields  before  they  are  killed  by  the  heavy  frosts  of 
late  autumn.  The  life  history  of  the  insect  has  ac- 
commodated itself  wonderfully  to  this  cultural  practice 
and  the  lice  acquire  wings  and  leave  the  plant  at  just 
the  proper  time  for  the  preservation  of  the  species. 

As  before  stated,  the  general  relations  of  the  insect 
to  the  two  plants — plum  and  hop — were  practically  de- 
termined years  ago  in  England,  but  it  was  only  after 
the  observations  of  1887  made  by  the  force  of  the  Divi- 
sion of  Entomology  of  the  United  States  Department 
of  Agriculture,  and  especially  by  Messrs.  T.  Pergande 
and  W.  B.  Alwood,  under  the  direction  of  the  late  Dr. 
C.  V.  Riley,  that  the  full  life  round  of  the  insect  was 
known  and  the  exact  periods  of  development  and  of 
life  upon  either  species  of  plant.  These  observations, 
which  were  carried  out  with  the  utmost  care,  and  the 
results  and  methods  of  which  form  a  model  for  similar 
work,  have  been  recorded  in  Government  publications, 
notably  in  the  annual  report  of  the  United  States  De- 
partment of  Agriculture  for  1888,  and  in  Insect  Life, 
Volume  I;  also  in  Circular  No.  2,  Second  Series  of  the 
Division  of  Entomology. 

Life  History — Briefly,  it  may  be  stated  that  the  first 
plant  lice  in  the  spring  hatch  from  winter  eggs  on  the 
twigs  of  plum  trees  in  the  vicinity  of  hop  yards.  This 
first  generation  of  lice  is  composed  of  wingless  indi- 
viduals which  give  birth  to  living  young.  These  young 
settle  upon  the  buds  and  young  leaves  of  the  plum  tree, 
and  after  a  few  days  give  birth  to  other  young.  The 
second  generation,  like  the  first,  is  wingless,  but  the 
third  acquires  wings.  There  are  no  males  among  these 
lice,  and  the  phenomenon  of  reproduction  without  the 
intervention  of  the  male  (termed  parthenogenesis)  is 
one  of  the  wonderful  features  of  insect  life.  By  the  time 
this  winged  generation  makes  its  appearance,  the  hop 
plants  in  the  yards  have  made  a  good  start  and  the  lice 


118 


THE   HOP. 


fly  from  the  plum  by  common  instinct  to  the  nearest 
hop  plants.  Here  they  settle,  immediately  insert  their 
beaks,  and  begin  sucking  up  the  sap  of  the  plant,  within 
a  few  hours  giving  birth  to  another  generation  of  liv- 
ing young,  which  reach  full  growth  without  acquiring 


wings,  just  as  did  the  first  and  second  generations. 
There  now  ensue  betwreen  the  middle  of  June  and  the 
autumn,  when  the  hop  picking  commences,  from  two 
to  eight  additional  generations  of  these  wingless  virgin 
females. 


PESTS    OF   THE    HOP   CROP.  119 

The  rate  at  which  they  are  produced  is  extraordi- 
nary. A  female  in  the  prime  of  life  will  give  birth  to 
several  young  each  24  hours.  Each  of  these,  in  the 
course  of  eight  days,  becomes  full  grown  and  begins 
giving  birth  to  young.  Each  female  may  live  in  the 
active,  prolific  stage  for  several  weeks,  so  that  a  given 
individual  may  have  living  offspring  to  the  fourth  or 
even  fifth  generation  before  the  end  of  her  life.  From 
this  it  results  that  from  a  comparatively  small  number 
of  original  migrants  a  large  hop  yard  may  be  com- 
pletely overrun  with  lice  in  a  few  weeks,  under  the  most 
favorable  circumstances.  Were  it  not  for  the  activity 
of  the  natural  enemies  of  the  lice,  there  would  appar- 
ently be  no  hope  of  ever  saving  a  crop.  In  September 
all  the  lice  on  the  hop  again  acquire  wings,  whether 
they  are  of  the  fifth  or  the  twelfth  generation.  We  may 
have  then  ten  wingless  generations,  and  we  always 
have  two  winged  generations. 

The  first  individuals  to  acquire  wings  in  the  au- 
tumn are  always  females,  and  these  leave  the  hop  yards 
and  fly  back  to  the  neighboring  plum  trees.  The  la- 
ter individuals  of  this  generation,  and  frequently,  if 
not  usually,  all  of  the  individuals  of  an  additional  gen- 
eration on  the  hop,  are  true  males,  the  male  thus  mak- 
ing its  appearance  for  the  first  and  only  time  in  the 
annual  life  round  of  the  species.  By  the  time  they  have 
developed,  however,  the  first  issuing  females  will  have 
settled  upon  the  plum  trees  and  will  have  given  birth 
(parthenogenetically,  as  before)  to  a  generation  of 
wingless  individuals  which  comprise  the  true  females, 
not  the  virgin  females  as  before,  but  the  true  females 
which  must  be  fertilized  by  the  males.  So  that,  by  the 
time  the  winged  males  have  developed  upon  the  hop 
crop  and  fly  back  to  the  plum,  we  have  this  generation 
of  wingless,  sexual,  or  true  females  awaiting  them.  Im- 
pregnation then  takes  place,  the  males  die,  and  these 
wingless,  sexual  females  give  birth  to  the  winter  eggs, 


120 

which  are  placed  on  the  twigs  of  the  pitim,  usually  in 
crevices  near  the  buds,  and  in  this  stage  the  insect 
passes  the  winter  as  before  indicated.  With  the  figures 
which  are  given  of  the  different  stages  of  the  insect,  no 
description  is  necessary  and  in  fact  all  hop  growers  are 
^amiliar  with  the  appearance  of  the  green  lice. 


Natural  Enemies . — We  have  already  mentioned  the 
important  part  which  the  natural  enemies  of  this  insect 
play  in  its  economy.  In  general,  we  may  say  that  were 
it  not  for  the  natural  enemies  of  plant  lice  and  for  oc- 
casional spells  of  extremely  hot  weather,  all  living 
vegetation  would  be  destroyed  by  them.  A  great 


PESTS    OF   THE    HOP   CROP.  121 

abundance  of  plant  lice  during  a  rainy  spring  is  of  com- 
mon occurrence.  Should  the  rains  continue  they  in- 
crease beyond  measure,  but  with  the  first  stopping  of 
the  rain  their  natural  enemies  become  active,  reproduce 
with  wonderful  rapidity  and  destroy  the  lice  by  the 
wholesale.  Then,  too,  when  we  have,  as  we  occasion- 
ally do  in  late  June  or  early  July,  a  day  or  so  when  the 
temperature*runs  high  up  into  the  go's,  the  lice  may  be 
killed  off  by  the  wholesale  by  the  heat  alone.  The 
writer  remembers  a  case  in  the  city  of  Washington, 
where  in  a  single  day  every  plant  louse  of  countless 
millions  upon  the  box-elder  shade  trees  was  killed  by 
a  temperature  of  101.  At  the  same  time  hop  plant  lice 


FIG.  60.      HOP  PLANT  LOUSE  AND  EGGS. 
Showing  shriveled  skin  of  female.    Greatly  enlarged.    (From  Insect  Life.) 

which  were  under  observation  upon  the  grounds  of  the 
Department  of  Agriculture  in  the  course  of  experi- 
mental work  were  also  destroyed  by  the  heat.  It  may 
be  incidentally  remarked  that  hot,  sunny  weather  is 
prejudicial  to  the  increase  of  this  insect  in  the  hop 
plantations  of  England.  The  natural  enemies  of 
the  lice  consist  of  the  slimy  maggots  of  several 
species  of  Syrphus  flies,  of  the  active  and  vora- 
cious larvae  of  the  lace-winged  flies,  of  the  lady- 
bird beetles,  of  the  internal  feeding  larvae  of 
an  entire  sub-family  of  parasitic  flies  known  as 
Aphidiinae,  and  of  several  species  of  little  parasitic 
hymenopterous  insects,  which,  curiously  enough,  be- 


122  THE  nor. 

long  to  the  family  Cynipidae,  most  of  the  species  of 
which  are  gall  makers  and  plant  feeders.  Several  of 
these  insects  are  shown  in  accompanying  figures.  They 
need  no  detailed  practical  consideration,  however,  ex- 
cept that  it  should  be  pointed  out  that  where  any  of 
these  insects  are  very  abundant,  and  the  fact  can  read- 
ily be  ascertained  by  a  little  close  observation,  remedial 
work  may  not  be  necessary.  When  any  considerable 
proportion  of  the  lice  are  found  to  be  brown  and  swol- 
len and  nearly  double  the  usual  size,  it  is  a  sure  indica- 
tion that  they  contain  Aphidiine  parasites  and  that  the 
little  flies  which  will  issue  from  these  lice  will  be  so 
abundant  as  to  kill  off  the  survivors  without  the  neces- 
sity of  remedial  work.  So,  too,  when  ladybird  beetles 
are  very  abundant  upon  the  vines,  it  is  safe  to  conclude 
that  spraying  with  insecticide  washes  will  not  be 
necessary. 

Remedies — If  the  writer  were  a  grower  of  hops, 
and  had  suffered  from  the  attacks  of  this  insect,  his  first 
step  would  be  to  locate  every  plum  tree  within  a  dis- 
tance of  half  a  mile  from  the  hop  yard.  He  would  then, 
by  hook,  or  by  crook,  secure  the  destruction  of  as 
many  of  these  trees  as  possible,  with  the  exception 
that  he  would  leave  two  or  three  trees  of  moderate 
size  among  those  nearest  to  the  yard.  These  trees  he 
would  use  as  traps  for  the  hop  lice  and  every  spring, 
along  toward  the  end  of  May,  he  would  carefully  ex- 
amine the  twigs,  and,  if  lice  were  at  all  abundant,  he 
would  spray  them  thoroughly  with  a  dilute  kerosene 
soap  emulsion,  or  with  a  resin  wash.  It  is  reasonably 
safe  to  say  that  if  this  course  were  or  could  be  adopted 
by  every  grower  of  hops,  comparative  immunity  of  the 
crop  from  the  attacks  of  these  insects  would  be  the 
result.  There  will  be  many  cases,  however,  where  there 
are  so  many  plum  trees  near  the  hop  field  that  such  a 
course  would  be  impossible  on  account  of  the  value  of 
the  plum  crop.  This  is  apt  to  be  the  case  especially  in 


PESTS   OF  THE   HOP   CROP.  123 

the  extreme  northwest,  where  the  plum  or  prune  crop 
is  such  a  valuable  one.  In  such  cases  recourse  must 
be  had  to  extensive  spraying,  preferably  of  the  plum 
trees  themselves  in  the  early  spring,  since  the  lice  are 
infinitely  fewer  in  number  at  that  time  of  the 
year,  or  of  the  hop  crop  itself,  the  earlier  the  better, 
after  the  lice  make  their  appearance. 

As  to  sjTraying  materials,  the  extensive  experi- 
ments which  we  carried  on  at  Richfield  Springs  in  the 
summer  of  1887  show  plainly  the  efficacy  of  the  stand- 
ard kerosene  emulsion  diluted  with  15  parts  of  water 


FIG.  61.      APHIDINE    PARASITE  OF  HOP  PLANT    LOUSE. 

Greatly  enlarged.    (From  U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture.) 

and  of  a  dilute  soap  wash  made  from  homemade  fish- 
oil  soap.  In  Oregon  and  Washington,  for  some  rea- 
son, the  kerosene  emulsion  has  not  come  into  general 
use.  As  has  been  recently  shown  with  such  positive- 
ness,  in  the  case  of  the  San  Jose  scale  and  the  lime  salt 
and  sulphur  wash,  there  is  really  a  difference  in  the 
effect  of  the  same  insecticide  wash  on  the  Pacific  and 
Atlantic  coasts.  Nevertheless,  the  decoction  of  quassia 
chips,  which  was  so  strongly  recommended  and  so 
frequently  used  in  Oregon  and  Washington  in  1890 
and  1892,  fostered,  as  has  been  said,  by  the  efforts  of 


124  THE  HOP. 

persons  interested  in  the  sale  of  the  substance,  when 
carefully  tested  by  an  agent  of  the  United  States  De- 
partment of  Agriculture  in  the  field  in  Oregon  in  1893, 
proved  less  effective  than  the  kerosene  emulsion  and 
than  the  best  of  the  fish- oil  soaps,  and  it  is  probable  that 
the  disrepute  into  which  the  kerosene  emulsion  early 
fell  was  due  to  improper  preparation  and  consequent 
destruction  of  foliage. 

The  standard  kerosene  soap  emulsion  formula  is 
made  as  follows: 

KEROSENE    EMULSION 

Kerosene 2,  gals. 

Whale-oil  soap  (or  I  qt  soft  soap).  .  .|  Ib. 
Water i  gal. 

Dissolve  the  soap  in  boiling  water  and  add  the  hot 
solution,  away  from  the  fire,  to  the  kerosene.  Agitate 
violently  for  five  minutes  by  pumping  the  liquid  back 
upon  itself  with  a  force  pump  until  the  mixture  assumes 
the  consistency  of  cream.  In  this  condition  it  will  keep 
indefinitely  and  should  be  diluted  only  as  wanted  for 
use.  For  plant  lice  and  other  soft-bodied  insects,  dilute 
the  above  to  15  or  20  gallons.  For  scale  insects  and 
beetles  use  seven  to  nine  parts  of  water. 

Fish-oil  soap  is  made  in  the  following  way :  Take 
potash  lye,  I  pound;  fish  oil,  3  pints;  soft  water,  2  gal- 
lons. The  lye  is  dissolved  in  the  water,  and  when 
brought  to  the  boiling  point  the  oil  is  added.  The 
batch  is  boiled  for  about  two  hours.  Enough  water  is 
filled  in  to  make  up  the  evaporation  by  boiling,  and 
the  result  will  be  about  25  pounds  of  soap,  which,  when 
cold,  may  be  cut  and  handled  in  cakes.  This  is  enough 
for  150  gallons  of  effective  wash  and  will  cost  from  20 
to  25  cents  in  Oregon. 

Additional  experiments  were  made  in  1893  with 
resin  wash  and  the  results  were  very  satisfactory.  The 
formula  used  by  the  agent,  Mr.  Koebele,  that  year  was 
as  follows :  One  pound  of  caustic  soda  dissolved  in  two 


PESTS   OF  THE   HOP   CROP  125 

gallons  of  water  and  six  pounds  of  broken  resin,  to  be 
boiled  with  about  three  quarts  of  the  resultant  lye. 
After  the  resin  is  dissolved,  the  rest  of  the  lye  is  to  be 
added  slowly,  with  water  to  make  about  eight  gallons  of 
the  compound,  which  should  be  still  further  diluted  with 
water  before  cooling.  The  resulting  mixture  should 
be  clear  and  brown  in  color,  and  at  this  stage  it  is  read- 
ily diluted  with  water.  Improvements  have  been 
made  since  1893  with  the  wash  and  the  formula  now 
recommended  by  the  writer's  office  is  as  follows:  Resin, 
20  pounds;  crude  caustic  soda  (78  per  cent.)  5  pounds; 
fish  oil,  2.\  pints;  water  to  make  100  gallons.  Ordinary 
commercial  resin  is  used,  and  the  caustic  soda  is  that 


FIG.  62.      CYNIPID  PARASITE  OF  HOP  PLANT   LOUSE. 

Greatly  enlarged.    (From  U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture.) 

put  up  for  soap  establishments  in  large  2OO-pound 
drums.  Smaller  quantities  may  be  obtained  at  soap 
factories,  or  the  granulated  caustic  soda  (98  per  cent.) 
used — 3^  pounds  of  the  latter  being  equivalent  to  five 
pounds  of  the  former.  Place  these  substances,  with 
the  oil,  in  a  kettle  with  water  to  cover  them  to  a  depth 
of  three  or  four  inches.  Boil  about  two  hours,  making 
occasional  additions  of  water,  or  until  the  compound 
resembles  very  strong,  black  coffee.  Dilute  to  one- 
third  the  final  bulk  with  hot  water,  or  with  cold  water 
added  slowly  over  the  fire,  making  a  stock  mixture 
to  be  diluted  to  the  full  amount  as  used.  When 
sprayed  the  mixture  should  be  perfectly  fluid,, 


126  THE    HOP 

without  sediment,  and  should  any  appear  in  the 
stock  mixture,  reheating  should  be  resorted  to, 
and  in  fact  the  wash  is  preferably  applied  hot. 
These  resin  washes,  it  should  be  stated,  are  appli- 
cable only  in  regions  where  there  are  comparatively 
long  rainless  periods,  since  they  are  readily  washed 
from  the  trees  by  rain.  The  standard  wash  now  in  use 
in  the  state  of  Washington  consists  of  six  pounds  of 
quassia  chips  and  five  pounds  whale-oil  soap  to  100  gal- 
lons water,  and  it  is  said  that  many  growers  get  excel- 
lent results  from  this  mixture. 

As  to  apparatus  for  the  application  of  these  insecti- 
cides, little  need  be  said.  So  many  excellent  machines 
are  on  the  market  that  the  hop  grower  will  have  no 
difficulty  in  selecting  one  suited  to  his  needs  and  the 
condition  of  his  finances.  Homemade  machines  con- 
sist simply  of  a  barrel  mounted  upon  a  sled  with  a 
pump  inserted  in  its  top.  Long  J-inch  3~ply  hose, 
bearing  "cyclone"  nozzles  and  supported  by  bamboo 
poles,  afford  easy  means  of  reaching  all  parts  of  the 
plants. 

Conditions  in  the  Different  Hop-Growing  Regions  — - 
We  have  referred  in  our  introductory  paragraph  to  the 
fact  that  this  insect  brings  about  appreciable  damage 
only  occasionally.  Thus,  in  the  great  hop-growing 
region  of  central  New  York  there  have  been  no  fields 
totally  destroyed  by  the  louse  since  1886.  In  1891,  in 
the  early  part  of  the  season,  there  was  a  hop  louse  scare 
among  growers  and  considerable  damage  was  antici- 
pated, but  with  the  dry  season  in  July  the  insects  almost 
entirely  disappeared.  There  have  been  roore  or  less 
lice  every  year  since  1886  and  some  fields  have  turned 
out  a  poor  quality  of  hops  in  consequence  of  mold  in 
the  burr,  caused  indirectly  by  the  lice  and  by  damp, 
warm  climatic  conditions  just  before  harvesting.  It 
seems  to  be  an  accepted  fact  that  those  growers  who 
are  free  from  wild  plum  trees  and  have  their  yards  on 


PESTS   OF  TfiE  HOP   CROP. 


127 


the  upland  usually  have  less  mold  than  growers  with 
yards  along  lake  shores 

In  Oregon,  the  damage  was  greater  in  1890,  two 
years  after  the  introduction  of  the  insect,  than  it  has 
been  since,  with  the  possible  exception  of  1897.  In 
1891  there  was  less  injury  than  in  1890;  1897  was  a 
year  of  considerable  damage,  the  extent  varying  from 
2  per  cent,  of  the  crop  in  one  yard  to  95  per  cent,  in 
another.  The  average  loss,  the  state  entomologist 


FIG.  63.      HOP  GRUB 

a,  Segment  of  larva;  b,  larva;  c,  pupa;  </,  adult.    All  natural  size  except  a. 
(Author's  illustration.) 

(Prof.  Cordley)  states,  was  about  33  1-3  per  cent.  It 
was  fully  50  per  cent,  in  the  neighborhood  of  Corvallis. 
In  Washington  the  damage  has  been  more  or  less 
constant  since  1890.  I  am  informed  by  Prof.  Piper, 
state  entomologist,  that  some  of  the  best  hop  growers 
in  the  state  of  Washington  grow  A  I  hops  with  but  one 
spraying,  using  whale-oil  soap  and  quassia  chips,  while 
others  spray  two  or  three  times.  In  the  Yakima  val- 
ley, he  states,  the  summer  heat  is  so  great  that  the 
louse  succumbs  to  it,  although  it  may  be  abundant 
early  in  the  season,  and  it  has  not  been  necessary  to 
spray  in  that  region,  which,  by  the  way,  is  irrigated, 


128  THE   HOP. 

sage-brush  land.  Nevertheless,  on  account  of  the  ex- 
pense of  spraying  in  western  Washington,  Professor 
Piper  is  of  the  opinion  that  hop  growing  will  never 
again  become  the  industry  that  it  was  prior  to  the 
introduction  of  the  louse.  There  is  some  prevalent 
opinion  in  Washington  that  the  life  history  given  in 
preceding  sections  will  not  hold  for  that  part  of  the 
country.  Growers  claim  that  winged  lice  occur 
throughout  the  season  and  they  do  not  believe  that  all 
the  winter  eggs  are  deposited  on  prune  or  plum  trees. 
This  statement  seems  extremely  improbable  to  the 
writer,  but  it  must  be  stated  that  no  observations  have 
been  made  in  that  part  of  the  country  which  are  at  all 
comparable  with  the  extremely  careful  ones  carried  on 
in  New  York  in  1887.  Nevertheless,  Mr.  Koebele,  when 
in  Oregon  in  1893,  was  able  to  set  at  restoneof  thelocal 
misapprehensions,  which  was  to  the  effect  that  the  hop 
louse  occurs  also  on  one  of  the  mints.  He  sent  speci- 
mens of  the  insect  to  the  city  of  Washington,  where, 
upon  examination,  it  wras  found  that  although  the 
resemblance  was  extremely  close,  the  mint  insect 
belonged  to  a  different  species  of  the  same,  genus, 
Phorodon. 

The  hop  plant  louse  made  its  first  appearance  in 
the  Wisconsin  hop  district  in  1867-68,  and  from  that 
time  on  was  more  or  less  abundant  every  season,  some 
years  almost  entirely  destroying  the  crop,  and  in  others 
causing  only  partial  loss.  Its  attacks  have  practically 
ruined  the  hop  industry  of  the  state. 

THE  HOP  GRUB  OR  HOP-PLANT  BORER 

(Gortyna  immanis,  Grt.) 

This  insect  probably  ranks  second  in  importance 
among  those  which  we  shall  mention,  although  of  late 
years  it  has  been  vastly  less  destructive  than  the  plant 
louse.  It  is  a  distinctive  North  American  insect  and  is 
known  as  a  hop  pest  only  in  the  east.  The  moth  has 


PESTS   OF   THE   HOP   CROP.  129 

been  found  in  the  state  of  Washington,  but  the  grub 
has  not  been  reported  to  damage  the  hop  yards  in  that 
state. 

In  1882  the  insect  was  brought  to  the  attention  of 
Professor  Comstock,  of  Cornell  University,  who  first 
learned  its  complete  life  history,  and  in  1883  it  was 
investigated  by  Dr.  J.  B.  Smith,  then  an  agent  of  the 
United  States  Department  of  Agriculture.  Since  that 
time  no  reports  of  serious  damage  have  been  received. 
A  prominent  hop  grower  writes  me  from  Richfield 
Springs,  N.  Y,,  under  date  of  January  20,  1898,  that 
the  grub  usually  eats  off  some  vines,  but  seldom  does 
much  damage.  Skunks,  he  writes,  are  plentiful,  and 
they  dig  the  grubs  out  of  the  hop  fields  in  the  summer. 

The  adult  moth  of  the  hop  grub,  shown  at  Fig.  63, 
lays  its  eggs  in  the  early  part  of  the  season  upon  the 
young  shoots  of  the  plant.  The  young  caterpillars, 
which  are  slender  and  greenish  in  color,  spotted  with 
black,  bore  into  the  vines  just  below  the  tip  and  remain 
at  this  point  for  some  time.  The  head  turns  downward 
and  stops  growing.  Such  vines  are  called  "muffle 
heads"  or  "stag  vines/'  and  sometimes  "bullheads," 
by  the  growers,  and  the  caterpillar  inhabiting  them  is 
called  the  "tip  worm."  A  little  later  the  grub  drops 
to  the  ground  and  enters  the  stem  at  the  surface  of  the 
ground.  It  is  then  called  the  "collar  worm."  It 
changes  to  a  dark,  whitish  color  with  black  spots. 
About  the  end  of  July  or  the  first  of  August  it  becomes 
full-grown,  and  transforms  to  pupa  near  the  roots  of 
the  plant.  The  moths  seem  to  issue  in  part  in  the 
fall  and  in  part  in  the  spring,  and  the  insect,  therefore, 
passes  the  winter  in  the  moth  state  under  rubbish  and 
in  fence  cracks,  as  well  as  in  the  pupal  state  under- 
ground. 

As  to  remedies,  where  the  insects  are  really  abun- 
dant, it  is  always  desirable  that  the  men  engaged  in  ty- 
ing the  vines  should  pinch  off  affected  tips  and  crush  the 
9 


130  THE    HOP 

worm.  Many  of  them  are  easily  destroyed  in  this  way. 
Others,  however,  escape,  drop  to  the  ground  and  begin 
work  at  the  crown.  A  generally  adopted  remedy  at 
this  time  is  high  hilling  and  fertilizing,  which  induces 
the  putting  out  of  rootlets  above  the  main  root,  en- 
abling the  vines  to  derive  nourishment  through  this 
channel  when  the  stem  has  been  gnawed  through.  An 
experienced  grower  in  Otsego  county,  N.  Y.,  recom- 
mends that  at  the  first  hoeing  the  dirt  be  care- 
fully worked  away  from  the  vines  by  the  hoe,  leaving 
them  bare  down  to  the  bedroot.  The  weather  tough- 
ens the  lower  part  of  the  stem  and  renders  it  unat- 
tractive to  the  grub.  Immediately  after  the  hoeing, 
a  handful  of  composite,  consisting  of  equal  parts  of  salt, 
quicklime  and  hen  manure,  mixed  while  slaking  the 
lime  and  left  standing  for  two  weeks,  should  be  placed 
about  each  vine  root. 

CATERPILLARS  FEEDING  UPON  HOP  LEAVES 

Several  different  kinds  of  caterpillars  feed  on  the 
leaves  of  the  hop  plant  during  the  summer,  but  they 
are  easily  controlled  and  seldom  do  any  especial  dam- 
age. Certain  of  these  species  may  be  illustrated  and 
briefly  mentioned.  All  are  readily  destroyed  by  an 
arsenical  spray.  Should  any  one  of  these  insects 
become  sufficiently  numerous  to  threaten  damage,  and 
any  of  them  is  at  all  times  liable  to  sudden  increase, 
the  yards  should  be  promptly  sprayed  with  Paris  green 
or  London  purple,  in  the  proportion  of  one  pound  to 
150  gallons  of  water,  or  with  arsenate  of  lead  in  the 
proportion  of  two  pounds  to  TOO  gallons  of  water. 

THE  HOP  VINE   SNOUT-MOTH    (Hypena   liumuli,  Harr.) 

In  1856  Dr.  Fitch,  writing  of  this  insect,  considered 
it  to  be  the  most  universal  and  formidable  of  the  hop 
insects,  making  its  appearance  suddenly,  and  some- 
times in  a  few  days  completely  riddling  and  destroying 


PESTS  OF  THE  HOP   CROP. 


131 


the  leaves  of  whole  fields  The  rather  slender,  green 
caterpillars  make  their  appearance  in  the  latter  part 
of  May,  feed  upon  the  substance  of  the  leaves  until 
full-grown,  and  then  form  thin,  imperfect,  silken 
cocoons  within  a  folded  leaf  or  in  a  crevice  or  shel- 
tered spot,  transforming  to  chrysalids  and  issuing  as 
moths  three,,  weeks  later.  There  are  two  annual  gen- 
erations, the  second  brood  of  caterpillars  being  found 


FIG.  64.     HOP  VINE  SNOUT-MOTH. 

a,  Egg;  bj  larva;  tf,  pupa;  /,  moth.    All  enlarged;  natural  size  indicated  by  dots 
and  hair  lines.    (Author's  illustration.) 

upon  the  vines  in  August.     The  insect  hibernates  in 
the  moth  stage. 

HOP    MERCHANTS    (Polygouia    interrogationis,    Godart, 
and  Polygonia  comma,  Harr.) 

These  are  common,  widespread,  and,  in  the  adult 
stage,  handsome  butterflies,  occurring  in  most  parts  of 
the  eastern  United  States,  and  in  the  caterpillar  stage 
feeding  not  only  upon  the  hop,  but  also  upon  the  elm 
and  several  other  closely  allied  plants.  They  have 
derived  their  name  of  "hop  merchants"  through 
the  gold  and  silver  markings  upon  the  chrysa- 
lids, which  occasionally,  probably  through  para- 
sitism, become  suffused  and  give  a  general  gold- 


132 


THE    HOP. 


en  or  silvery  tinge  to  the  chrysalids.  As  I  have 
shown  in  another  publication,  an  interesting  su- 
perstition is  more  or  less  laughingly  held  among 
New  York  hop  growers,  to  the  effect  that  when  the 
golden  spots  are  plentiful,  the  crop  will  be  good  and 
the  price  high,  while,  if  the  silvery  cocoons  are  more 
abundant,  the  price  will  be  low.  Both  of  these  insects 
are  double-brooded  in  hop-growing  regions,  and  they 
are  shown  in  their  different  stages  in  the  accom- 


FIG.  65.      INTERROGATION  BUTTERFLY. 

a,  Eggs;  6,  larva;  c,  chrysalis;  d,  adult.    All  natural  size  except  a,  which  is  en- 
larged.   (Author's  illustration.) 

panying  figures.  The  spiny  caterpillars  are  readily 
recognized,  and  feed  without  concealment  upon  the 
upper  or  under  surface  of  the  leaf.  They  are  frequently 
extensively  parasitized  in  the  caterpillar  stage,  as  well 
as  in  the  egg  stage,  by  minute  hymenopterous  para- 
sites, a  fact  which  accounts  in  large  measure  for  the 
slight  damage  done  by  these  insects  under  ordinary 
circumstances. 


PESTS   OF  THE   HOP   CROP. 


133 


THE  ZEBRA  CATERPILLAR  (Mamestra  picta,  Harr.) 

This  well-known  and  polyphagic  insect  is  found 
frequently  upon  hops.  It  occurs  from  Canada  south  to 
Virginia,  and  west  to  Nebraska,  and  has  evidently  of 
late  years  been  carried  into.  California.  It  feeds  upon 
blackberry,  poke  weed,  lamb's  quarter,  goose  foot, 


FIG.  66.      COMMA  BUTTERFLY. 

a,  Eggs;  6,  larva;  c,  chrysalis;  d,  adult.    All  natural  size  except  a,  which  is  en 
larged.     (Author's  illustration.) 

worm  seed,  cabbage,  aster,  honeysuckle,  white  berry, 
mignonette,  asparagus,  ruta-baga,  beet,  cauliflower, 
spinach,  bean,  pea  and"  celery,  and  is  thus  a  common  gar- 
den pest.  The  eggs  of  this  insect  are  deposited  on  the 
lower  sides  of  the  leaves  in  clusters  of  from  250  to  300. 


134 


THE   HOP. 


The  young  caterpillars,  at  first  almost  black,  but  after- 
wards pale  green  in  color,  feed  together  in  bands  on 
the  undersides  of  the  leaves.  When  they  reach  the 
third  stage,  they  begin  to  scatter,  and  thereafter  feed 
singly,  assuming  a  velvety  black  color,  with  two  nar- 
row7 yellow  lines  down  tfre  sides,  between  which  are 
numerous  transverse  irregular  finer,  yellow  lines.  When 
full-grown,  they  burrow  into  the  ground  and  change  to 
pupae  in  about  two  days.  The  insects  pass  the  winter 
in  the  pupal  stage,  the  moths  issuing  in  May  and  June. 
The  young  caterpillars  are  found  from  the  first  week  in 


FIG.  67.      ZEBRA  CATERPILLAR. 

a,  Larva;  6,  adult.    Natural  size.    (After  Riley.) 

June  to  the  first  week  in  July,  and  reach  their  full 
growth  in  about  four  weeks.  A  second  brood  of  moths 
in  more  southern  localities  appears  during  the  early 
part  of  July. 

THE    COMMON   WOOLLY  BEAR    CATERPILLAR 

(Spilosoma  virginica,  Fab.) 

This  is  another  common,  widespread  species  with 
many  food  plants,  which  is  quite  often  found  in  the  hop 
yards,  feeding  upon  the  weeds,  as  well  as  upon  hop 


PESTS   OF   THE   HOP   CROP. 


135 


vines.  The  caterpillars  when  full-grown  are  very  vora- 
cious and  will  devour  an  entire  leaf  in  an  incredibly 
short  time.  They  are  not  frequently  seen  upon  the 
plant,  since  they  drop  readily  when  disturbed  and 
remain  quiet  for  a  few  minutes,  but  they  are  quick 
travellers  when  in  motion.  The  eggs  are  laid  on  the 
lower  sides  of  the  leaves,  in  batches  of  from  50  to  100 
or  more.  The  full-grown  larva  is  an  inch  and  a  half 
in  length  and  very  variable  in  color.  It  is  covered 
with  stiff  hairs,  which  are  sometimes  white,  intermixed 
with  a  few  yellow  or  brown  ones,  or  they  are  yellow, 
red,  brown,  or  almost  black,  sometimes  darkest  at  both 


FIG.  68.      WOOLLY   BEAR  CATERPILLAR, 
a,  Larva;  £>,  pupa;  c,  adult.    Natural  size.    (After  Riley.) 

ends,  or  all  colors  mixed.  The  cocoon  is  mostly  com- 
posed of  hairs  of  the  caterpillar,  and  is  spun  in  any  suit- 
able sheltered  position.  There  is  apparently  but  one 
annual  generation,  and  the  insect  hibernates  both  in 
the  caterpillar  stage  and  in  the  pupal  stage  in  its 
cocoon.  The  figure  which  we  give  represents  perhaps 
the  commonest  variety  of  the  caterpillar. 

THE  SADDLE-BACK  CATERPILLAR 

(Empretia  stimulea,  Clem.) 

This  insect  is  another  of  the  general  feeders,  and 
will  probably  not  play  an  important  part    as    a  hop 


136  THE   HOP. 

insect,  for  the  reason  that  it  is  a  normal  denizen  of 
regions  too  far  south  for  the  successful  commercial 
cultivation  of  the  hop.  In  fact,  the  only  hop-grow- 
ing region  where  it  has  ever  been  found  is  in  southern 
Wisconsin,  and,  as  has  been  shown,  the  culture  of  hops 
has  been  largely  abandoned  in  that  state.  It  occurs, 
however,  commonly  upon  the  hop  vines  grown  in  the 
dooryards  throughout  the  southern  and  mid-western 
states,  and  will  readily  be  recognized  from  the  accom- 
panying figure.  It  is  one  of  the  stinging  or  urticating 
caterpillars,  and  its  spines  coming  in  contact  with  a 
delicate  skin  have  very  much  the  effect  of  one  of  the 


FIG.  69.   SADDLE-BACK  CATERPILLAR. 

Natural  size.    (After  Riley.) 

nettle  plants.  The  insect  over-winters  in  the  pupal 
state  within  its  cocoon,  and  there  are  two  or  more  gen- 
erations each  year. 

OTHER    CATERPILLARS 

Descriptions  of  the  remaining  leaf-feeding  cater- 
pillars will  hardly  be  necessary  in  this  connection.  The 
species  found  most  commonly  upon  the  hop  are  as  fol- 
lows: Theda  humuli,  Harr.;  Ctenucha  virginica,  Charp.; 
Acronycta  brumosa,  Guen.;  Acronycta  americana,  Harr., 
Orgyia  antiqua,  L.-  Halisidota  caryae,  Harr.;  Halisidota 
tessellata,  S.  &A.;  Plusia  precationis,Guen.;  Lcucarctia 
acraea,  Dru.;  Hypena  scabra,  Fab.,  and  Hyphantria 
cuneay  Dru. 


PESTS    OF   THE   HOP   CHOP. 


13? 


LEAF    HOPPERS    WHICH    AFFECT    THE    HOP 

Several  species  of  the  little  insects  properly  called 
leaf  hoppers,  but  which  vine  growers  have  become 
used  to  calling  "thrips,"  occur  upon  the  hop  plant,' 
and  in  dry  seasons  sometimes  cause  the  leaves  to  turn 
brown  and  wilt,  thus  doing  about  the  same  character  of 


FIG.  70.      HOP  VINE  LEAF  HOPPER. 

Tettigonia  confluenta,  with  enlarged  structural  details.    Enlarged  (original). 

damage  in  dry  weather  which  the  hop  plant  louse  does 
in  damp  weather.  The  most  serious  case  which  has 
been  brought  to  our  attention  was  in  1891,  when  speci- 
mens of  the  species  here  figured,  namely,  Tettigonia 


138  THE   HOP. 

conflucnta,  Say,  were  received  from  Puyallup,  Wash., 
in  August,  with  the  statement  that  they  were  very 
numerous  upon  the  blossoms  or  cones,  and  were  injur- 
ing their  quality  to  some  extent.  Further  reports  of 
damage  of  the  same  nature  have  not  since  been 
received,  but  it  is  an  insect  which  hop  growers  of  the 
northwest  should  know  and  should  guard  against.  In 
the  east,  the  most  abundant  of  the  leaf  hoppers  found 
in  the  hop  yards  is  Typhlocyba  rosae,  numbers  of  which 
were  found  in  the  yards  at  Richfield  Springs,  N.  Y.,  in 
June,  1887,  causing  more  or  less  damage  to  the  foliage. 
Another  species,  more  closely  related  to  the  one  found 
in  the  state  of  Washington,  was  collected  in  numbers 
on  the  hop  vines  at  Waterville,  N.  Y.,  in  July,  1883,  by 
Dr.  Smith.  It  is  a  handsome  species  of  the  genus  Typh- 
locyba, and  is  of  a  yellowish-green  color.  Dr.  Smith 
found  that  yards  badly  affected  with  lice  had  none  of 
these  hoppers,  while  in  yards  in  which  the  lice  were 
absent,  the  hoppers  were  more  numerous. 

Nearly  all  of  these  leaf  hoppers  over-winter  in  the 
adult  condition,  under  leaves  and  rubbish  at  the  surface 
of  the  ground.  A  hop  yard,  therefore,  which  is  thor- 
oughly cleaned  up  in  the  autumn,  and  all  leaves  and 
rubbish  burned,  will  generally  be  free  from  this  insect. 
Where  they  are  very  abundant  in  the  summer  time, 
there  are  two  remedies  which  may  be  adopted.  The 
great  activity  of  these  insects  under  ordinary  circum- 
stances makes  spraying  ineffective,  but  during  the  early 
morning  or  late  in  the  evening — especially  on  a  cool, 
moist  day — they  are  more  torpid  and  can  then  be  struck 
by  a  spray  of  kerosene  emulsion.  A  method  which  has 
been  adopted  in  New  York  vineyards  and  also  to  some 
extent  in  California  vineyards,  is  to  make  a  light  shield 
of  a  lath  frame,  with  cloth  stretched  over  it,  and  this, 
when  saturated  with  kerosene  or  painted  with  tar,  is 
carried  through  the  field  to  the  leeward  of  the  vines, 
the  vines  being  stirred  on  the  other  side.  The  hoppers 


PESTS    OF   THE    HOP    CROP.  139 

fly  against  the  kerosened  or  tarred  surface,  and  arethus 
destroyed  in  large  numbers. 

BEETLES  FEEDING  ON  HOP  LEAVES 

Several  species  of  leaf  beetles  are  frequently  found 
in  the  hop  yards,  and  gnaw  holes  in  the  leaves,  thus 
disfiguring  them,  but  seldom  injuring  the  plant. 
Among  these,  are  the  red-headed  flea-beetle  (Systena 
frontalis),  the  striped  flea-beetle  (Phyllotreta  vittata), 
the  punctured  flea-beetle  (Psylliodes  punctulata),and  the 
twelve-spotted  leaf  beetle  (Diabrotica  12-punctata). 
These  species  were  found  by  Dr.  Smith  at  Waterville. 
Mr.  Pergande,  at  Richfield  Springs,  collected  Phyllo- 


FIG.  71.      STRIPED  FLEA-BEETLE, 
a,  Larva;  6,  adult.    Enlarged.    (From  U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture.) 

treta  vittata;  Crepidodcra  hclxincs,  the  common  willow 
flea-beetle;  Epitrix  cucumeris,  the  potato  flea-beetle; 
Diabolia  borealis,  the  common  plantain  leaf  miner;  Psyl- 
liodes punctulata,  a  common  and  widespread  species. 
None  of  these  insects  is  peculiar  to  the  hop  plant. 
The  common  striped  flea-beetle  is  shown  in  the  accom- 
panying figure. 

THE    SO-CALLED    "RED    SPIDER,"    OR    SPINNING   MITE 

Hop  fields  in  England  have  occasionally  suffered 
to  a  considerable  extent  from  the  damage  done  to  the 


140  THE    HOP. 

foliage  by  what  appears  to  be  the  common  red  spider 
of  our  American  greenhouses  (Tctranychus  tclarius), 
although  English  writers  have  found  sufficient  differ- 
ence between  the  spinning  mite  found  in  the  hop  fields 
and  the  ordinary  form  to  establish  a  new  variety  which 
they  call  T.  tclarius  var.  huniuli.  In  1868,  and  again 
in  1893,  this  little  mite  did  much  mischief  in  many  hop 
yards.  The  leaves  fell  off,  the  burr  or  blossom  was 
damaged,  and  in  some  instances  the  plants  were  com- 
pletely shrivelled  up.  In  1897,  again  serious  injury 
was  threatened,  but  a  succession  of  showers  and  a  fall 
of  temperature  fortunately  checked  multiplication.  The 
first  indication  of  the  presence  of  these  mites  is  the 


o 


FIG.   72.      "RED  SPIDER,"  OR  SPINNING  MITE. 

Female,  male  and  ears?— greatly  enlarged.    (Redrawn  from  Journal  of  the  Board 
of  Agriculture  of  England  for  December,  1897.) 

yellowing  of  the  lower  leaves  of  the  plant,  and  when 
examined  carefully  upon  the  under  surface,  thick, 
silken  webs  will  be  seen  spreading  from  rib  to  rib, 
under  which  the  mites  live,  actively  sucking  the  juices 
of  the  leaf.  The  remedies  adopted  in  England  are  very 
sensible,  and  consist,  principally,  of  a  heavy  spray  of 
soap  and  water  and  sulphide  of  potassium.  Sulphur 
in  any  form  is  a  specific  against  mites,  and  a  spray  of 
kerosene  soap  emulsion,  to  which  a  small  quantity  of 
flowers  of  sulphur  has  been  added,  is  generally 
effective. 


PESTS    OF   THE   HOP   CROP.  141 

I  am  not  prepared  to  say  that  this  same  mite  is 
found  in  American  hop  fields,  but  in  September,  1887, 
Mr.  Pergande  found  at  Waterville,  N.  Y.,  a  species 
closely  related  to  the  common  red  spider  of  green- 
houses, which  occurred  in  large  numbers  on  the  lower 
side  of  many  leaves  of  the  hop  plants,  doing  consider- 
able damage  to  the  foliage  and  covering  themselves 
with  a  web  just  as  the  spinning  mite  of  the  hop  fields 
of  England  is  reported  to  do.  It  bore  a  strong  super- 
ficial resemblance  to  the  common  so-called  red  spider, 
but  had  six-jointed  legs  instead  of  seven-jointed  legs. 

Professor  Osborn,  in  Wisconsin,  in  September, 
1887,  found  what  he  took  to  be  the  true  Tetranychus 
tclarius  in  almost  every  hop  yard  visited,  and  in  some 
so  plentiful  as  to  cause  conspicuous  injury  to  the  leaves. 
It  should  be  stated  that  in  Wisconsin  that  summer  the 
hop  plant  louse  seemed  to  be  entirely  absent.  He 
found  eggs,  young  mites  and  full-grown  mites  abun- 
dantly under  the  very  delicate  web  spun  over  the  under 
surface  of  the  leaf,  the  upper  surface  indicating  their 
presence  by  rusty  patches  and  a  red  or  yellow  discolor- 
ation. No  attack  was  made  on  the  burr,  so  that  the 
damage  consisted  simply  in  loss  of  vitality  to  the  plant. 
The  growers  generally  did  not  consider  the  mite  as  of 
any  importance.  Prof.  Osborn  has  suggested  the 
obvious  remedy  of  burning  the  plants  as  soon  as  they 
become  dry  enough  to  burn  after  picking.  Thus,  there 
is  a  possibility  that  the  European  mite  already  occurs 
in  this  country,  and  that  trouble  may  ensue  in  excep- 
tional seasons. 

PRACTICAL     DIRECTIONS     FOR    SPRAYING 

Such  poor  results  from  spraying  have  been 
reported  that  in  addition  to  Dr.  Howard's  very  com- 
plete and  scientific  exposition  of  the  subject,  we  add 
some  directions  and  experiences  from  practical  grow- 
ers who  have  successfully  applied  the  foregoing  meth- 
ods. Writing  for  Washington  state;  Hart  says: 


142  THE  HOP. 

"The  mixture  most  esteemed  here  is  quassia  chips  and 
whaleoil  soap.  For  each  acre  to  be  sprayed,  soak  in  cold 
water  the  first  time  10  pounds  of  quassia  chips  in  25  gallons 
of  soft  water;  the  second  time  you  will  boil  them  for  two 
hours.  Also  boil  five  pounds  of  whaleoil  soap  in  25  gallons  of 
soft  water  until  the  soap  is  thoroughly  dissolved ;  then  strain 
the  same,  mixing  them  alternately  into  a  clean  barrel,  a 
bucket  at  a  time,  and  stirring  together. 

"Place  your  barrel,  which  should  have  a  force  pump 
attached  thereto,  upon  a  good  sled,  with  one  man  to  pump 
and  drive  (a  steady  horse  being  necessary),  and  two  men  to 
spray,  one  on  each  side.  Each  man  sprays  two  rows  of  vines, 
making  four  rows  in  all  sprayed  at  one  time.  Use  a  fine  rose 
nozzle,  being  especially  careful  and  particular  to  spray  the 
underside  of  the  leaves.  All  the  men  should  be  clothed  in 
oil  or  green  coats  and  hats,  to  protect  them  from  the  spray, 
for  in  a  wind  it  is  almost  impossible  to  do  good  work.  There 
should  not  be  less  than  three  sprayings,  four  is  safer,  the 
last  one  just  as  the  hops  are  forming,  and  the  liquor  that 
time  may  be  slightly  reduced  in  strength  so  as  not  to  injure 
the  hop.  In  the  short  pole  system,  one  objection  is  the  diffi- 
culty of  getting  through  without  severe  scratchings,  and  the 
team  often  is  entangled  in  the  vines  crossing  over  the  twine 
above  their  heads." 

For  Oregon,  Walcott  writes: 

"In  the  future,  we  cannot  count  on  a  crop  of  good  quality 
without  spraying.  There  are  many  methods  and  formulas, 
the  one  most  in  use  being  a  solution  of  whaleoil  soap  and 
quassia  chips.  The  proportion  varies  from  eight  pounds  of  quas- 
sia chips  and  seven  pounds  soap  to  six  pounds  of  quassia  chips 
and  12  pounds  of  soap  to  the  acre.  I  have  met  with  good  success 
with  the  last  named  proportion.  The  quassia  chips  should 
be  fresh  and  finely  cut,  and  the  whaleoil  soap  must  be  strictly 
pure  and  of  80  per  cent.  test. 

"Many  growers  have  been  disappointed  in  spraying  be- 
cause they  used  an  inferior  quality  of  material.  Weigh  out 
20  pounds  of  chips  and  put  them  in  a  burlap  sack,  tie  the 
end  of  the  sack,  sink  it  in  a  barrel  of  water  and  soak  24 
hours.  Then  turn  the  water  into  a  tank  under  which  a  fire 
can  be  built,  put  in  the  sack  of  chips  and  let  them  remain 
until  the  water  commences  to  boil;  then  remove  the  sack  of 
chips,  from  which  all  the  strength  has  now  been  extracted. 
Now  turn  into  the  tank  40  pounds  of  soap,  and  boil  until  the 
soap  is  all  dissolved ;  then  add  water  until  there  are  50  gallons 
of  the  solution.  In  spraying,  use  five  gallons  of  this  solution 
to  35  gallons  of  water.  It  usually  takes  about  120  gallons  of 
spray  to  go  over  an  acre.  With  a  roller  sprayer  and  three 
men  and  two  horses,  eight  acres  can  be  sprayed  a  day,  provided 
water  is  plentiful  and  near  and  the  land  reasonably  level. 


PESTS   OF   THE   HOP   CROP. 


143 


"Spraying  should  be  commenced  as  soon  as  the  lice  make 
their  appearance  and  should  be  continued  as  often  as  neces- 
sary, until  the  hops  begin  to  burr,  after  which  the  spraying 
will  do  but  little  good,  as  the  lice  get  inside  the  hop,  where 
the  spray  cannot  touch  them.  The  number  of  times  it  is 


FIG.  73.      NEEDLE-NOSED  HOP  BUG  (Colocoris  fulvomaculatus). 

b,  Proboscis,  greatly  enlarged. 

necessary  to  spray  a  hop  yard  depends  upon  the  location, 
the  density  of  the  foliage  of  the  vines  and  the  weather  dur- 
ing the  months  of  June  and  July,  as  hop  lice  breed  and  in- 
crease very  rapidly  in  damp,  rainy  weather  and  very  slowly 
in  hot,  dry  weather." 


144 


THE   HOP. 


We  find  comparatively  little  in  English  or  German 
methods  to  add  to  the  foregoing,  and  the  latter  may 
well  profit  by  American  experience.  Kentish  planters 
take  more  care  than  others  to  prevent  vines  being  too 
thick,  and  emphasize  the  fact  that  plenty  of  sunshine 
among  the  leaves  is  one  of  the  best  safeguards  against 
lice  and  mold.  A  Washington  farmer  sets  two  or  three 
rows  of  tobacco  plants  about  his  hop  yards,  which  seem 
to  attract  the  winged  lice  on  their  way  from  the  plum 


FIG.  74.      HOP  VINE  AFFECTED  BY  NEEDLE-NOSED  HOP  BUG. 

Showing  "scars"  on  hop  vine.     a,  Due  to  the  Calocoris;  b,  holes  in  leaf  due  to 
punctures  by  the  AntJiocoris,  a  somewhat  similar  insect. 

tree  to  the  vines,  and  cause  them  to  die  after  feeding 
on  the  tobacco.  In  1895,  much  injury  was  done  in 
England  by  the  needle-nosed  hop  bug  (Fig.  73),  which 
with  its  long,  sharp  proboscis  (Fig  73,  b)  punctured  the 
tender  parts  of  the  vine  (Fig.  74),  not  only  drawing 
out  the  sap,  but  leaving  a  wound  that  bled  and  weak- 
ened the  vine.  The  only  thing  that  disabled  them  was 
12  pounds  of  soft  soap  to  100  gallons  of  water  (or  of 


PESTS   OF   THE   HOP   CROPo 


145 


ill 


'IS 

.;.to'v    , 

|MJ 


10 


FIG.  75.      AN  EELWORM  DISEASE  OF  HOPS. 

[For  explanation,  see  Page  147.] 


146  THE   HOP. 

other  washes)  sprayed  on  a  dull  day,  when  the  bugs  are 
less  active;  they  are  best  treated  during  the  wingless 
stage  early  in  the  season. 

Prof.  Jno.  B.  Smith  lays  as  much  stress  now  upon 
ladybirds  for  destroying  hop  lice  as  in  1887,  when  he 
first  called  attention  to  them  and  their  larvae  known 
as  "niggers." 

"Three  species  are  found  in  abundance  on  hop  vines. 
The  most  numerous  is  the  two-spotted  ladybird  (Adalia 
Wpunctata),  a  small  red  species,  with  two  black  spots  on  the 
wing  covers.  Next  comes  the  nine-spotted  ladybird  (Cocci- 
nellu  S-nolata),  a  larger  species,  with  nine  black  spots  on  its 
yellowish-red  wing  covers,  and  least  numerous  of  all  is  the 
twice-stabbed  ladybird  (Chilocorus  bivulncrus),  smaller  than 
either,  entirely  black,  except  two  blood-red  spots  on  the 
wing  covers.  The  larvae  of  these  species  are  all  very  much 
alike,  and  of  an  elongated,  flat  form,  tapering  toward  the 
tip,  with  six  legs;  of  a  grayish-black  color,  spotted  and 
marked  with  red  or  yellow.  They  are  very  active  and  very 
rapacious,  feeding  almost  continually,  and  each  larva 
destroys  many  lice  before  attaining  maturity.  When  full- 
grown,  they  attach  themselves  by  the  tail  to  a  leaf,  curl  up 
into  a  round  pellet,  and  in  a  few  days  transform  into  the  per- 
fect beetle,  which  also  feeds  on  the  aphis,  but  is  not  so 
voracious  as  the  larva.  There  are  several  broods  of  the 
insect  in  the  season,  the  last  transforming  into  the  perfect 
insect  about  the  middle  or  toward  the  end  of  September. 

"The  beetles  hibernate  in  crevices  of  fences,  under  bark  of 
trees,  or  stones,  or  wherever  else  they  can  find  shelter,  and 
reappear  in  spring  to  continue  the  work  where  they  left  off 
the  year  -before.  Were  it  possible  to  preserve  a  sufficient 
number  of  these  insects  through  the  winter,  so  that  a  goodly 
number  of  them  would  be  on  hand  in  early  spring,  the  lice 
would  never  become  numerous  enough  to  do  injury;  as  it  is, 
but  few  survive  the  winter,  and  before  they  become  numer- 
ous the  lice,  propagating  more  rapidly,  become  so  plentiful  that 
they  are  beyond  control.  But,  seriously,  there  is  no  reason 
why  these  coccinellids  cannot  be  wintered.  They  become 
very  numerous  in  fall,  and  several  hundreds  of  them  could 
be  collected  without  difficulty,  put  into  a  large  box  with 
plenty  of  loose  rubbish,  and  kept  in  some  cool  place  not 
exposed  to  the  fiercest  cold,  nor  yet  so  warm  as  to  cause 
them  to  become  active — a  barn  or  cellar  would  answer.  The 
box  should  be  covered  so  as  to  prevent  the  entrance  of  spi- 
ders;  which  would  feed  on  them.  In  spring,  the  box  could  be 
._  placed  in  the  open  air,  and  the  insects  would  then  scatter 
through  the  yards  in  search  of  suitable  places  to  deposit  eggs. 
I  firmly  believe  that  this  could  be  done  without  much 


PESTS   OF  THE  HOP   CROP. 


147 


trouble,  and  that  it  would  prove  the  best  possible  remedy 
to  prevent  the  spread  of  or  damage  by  the  aphides." 

The  eelworm  disease  causes  sickly  looking  bines 
and  curling  of  the  leaf.  The  trouble  is  due  to  a  minute 
eelworm,  which  slits  and  injures  the  delicate  rootlets. 
The  accompanying  cut  (Fig.  75)  is  from  The  Journal  of 
the  Wye  Agricultural  College  for  April,  1895.  I  shows 
the  leaves,  sgialler  in  size  than  usual,  a  under,  b  upper, 
surface,  showing  characteristic  curling  of  edges  and 


FIG.  76.      THREADS     OF    HYPHAE     OF     HOP    MOLD    (SphCBTOtheca 

castagnei). 

Summer,  or  active  stage,    a.  Erect  hypha,  giving  rise  to  chains  of  spores  (conidia). 
6,  Free  "spore"  (conidium). 

puckering  of  veins;  natural  size.  II,  Cross-section  of 
leaf,  enlarged  forty  times,  showing  abnormal  tissue. 
Ill,  As  in  II,  showing  further  growth  of  tissue  at  side 
of  midrib.  IV,  Cross-section  of  root,  natural  size,  and 
V,  lengthwise  section,  both  showing  effect  of  stern- 
eel  worm  (Tylcnchus  dcvastatrix).  VI,  Hop  rootlet  with 
attached  females  of  eelworm  (Hctcrodera  schachtii\ 
almost  natural  size.  VII,  Magnified  cross-section  of 
rootlet,  showing  eelworms  at  work.  VIII,  a,  female 


148  THE   HOP. 

eelworm;  b,  ditto,  broken,  showing  eggs  and  larvae. 
IX,  Eggs  at  different  stages,  and  the  young  worm, 
magnified  250  times.  Dig  out  and  burn  infected  plants. 
Lime,  one-half  ton  per  ocre,  or  sulphate  of  potash,  200 
to  400  pounds  per  acre,  are  the  remedies  suggested. 

FUNGOUS   PESTS BLIGHT,    MOLDS,  ETC. 

"Fire  blast"  and  "red  rust"  are  not  common  in 
the  United  States,  and  the  latter  at  least  is  due  to  an 
insect  (the  red  spider)  rather  than  to  a  fungus.  Mildew 
and  mold  are  also  comparatively  rare,  though  the 


FIG.  77.      ASCOCARPS  OF  "HOP  MOLD." 
Autumn,  or  resting  stage.    Highly  magnified. 

attacks  of  lice  often  cause  a  blackened  condition  igno- 
rantly  called  "mold."  Mildew  is  one  of  the  worst  pests 
in  England,  and  in  damp  seasons  is  almost  equally  de- 
structive in  Europe.  The  best  account  of  the  hop  mold 
or  its  treatment  is  Percival's,  in  the  Journal  of  the  Wye 
(Kent)  Agricultural  College,  under  whose  direction  the 
test  has  been  carefully  studied  and  experimented  with. 
Symptoms — Tn  the  earliest  stages,  the  mold  is  seen  as 
small,  light- colored  patches,  chiefly  upon  the  upper  surface 
of  the  leaves.  If  the  nights  are  cold  and  damp  and  the  hop 
plants  in  a  backward  or  weakened  condition,  the  patches 


PESTS    OF   THE    HOP    CROP.  149 


soon  increase  in  size,  generally  regularly  from  a  center,  so 
that  the  spots  are  approximately  circular.  As  the  patches 
increase  to  about  one-eighth  of  an  inch  across,  they  become 
whiter  in  color  (Fig.  76),  and  have  a  dusty  or  floury  appear- 
ance. Fresh  spots  show  themselves  on  the  younger  leaves 
and  in  bad  cases  the  malady  spreads  from  the  lower  leaves, 
where  it  is  generally  first  seen,  to  those  higher  on  the 
plant  and  even  to  the  tender  shoots  and  young  hops.  In 
all  cases  the  plants  suffer  in  health,  but  it  is  only  when  the 
tender  shoots,  and  young  growth  are  attacked  that  serious 
damage  is  done.  The  young  hops  and  tips  of  the  laterals 
on  the  bine  then  lose  their  soft,  succulent  character  and 
become  deformed;  the  parts  attacked  dry  up,  and  develop- 
ment is  stopped.  Often  the  white  patches  of  mold  do  not 
spread;  the  spots  lose  their  dusty  appearance  and  vanish, 
leaving  behind  always  a  small  yellow  or  brown  dead  place 
upon  the  leaf  attacked.  More  frequently,  however,  if  the 
mold  is  allowed  to  remain  unchecked,  and  the  weather  is 
unfavorable  to  the  growth  of  the  hop  plant,  the  patches, 
especially  on  the  lower  surface  of  the  leaves  and  on  the 
young  hops,  become  covered  with  extremely  small,  dark, 
rusty-brown  specks,  and  the  white,  dusty  character  of  the 
spot  gradually  disappears. 

The  time  at  which  mold  is  first  observed  varies  with 
the  season.  Gardens  once  seriously  attacked  and  neglected 
are  always  specially  liable  to  an  annual  recurrence  of  the 
disease,  unless  measures  are  taken  to  get  rid  of  the  trouble. 

Cause — The  ordinary  symptoms  can  readily  be  seen  and 
followed  by  the  naked  eye,  but  the  exact  cause  and  process 
of  development  can  only  be  appreciated  fully  after  making 
observations  with  a  good  microscope.  A  mold  spot  in  its 
early  stages  is  then  seen  to  be  made  up  of  a  tangled  mass 
of  branching  threads  (hyphae).  The  threads  are  clear, 
transparent,  hollow  tubes,  filled  with  living  substance 
(protoplasm),  and  constitute  the  body  or  spawn  (mycelium) 
of  a  fungus,  known  as  SpJiacrotJieca  castagnei,  which  is 
one  of  a  large  class  known  as  "true,"  or  "surface"  mildews. 
Careful  observations  show  that  the  threads  are  not  merely 
resting  on  the  surface  of  the  leaf,  like  a  tangled  skein  of 
cotton  upon  a  table;  they  cannot  be  blown  away  or  washed 
off,  as  at  various  points  they  are  attached  by  short  suckers 
(haustoria)  which  just  penetrate  into  the  substance  of  the 
leaf  and  serve  the  double  purpose  of  holding  the  fungus  in 
its  place  and  acting  as  roots  to  suck  up  and  convey  the  sap 
from  the  hop  plant  into  its  own  body.  The  spawn  of  the 
fungus  or  mold  thus  lives  upon  the  substances  manufactured 
in  the  hop  leaf,  and  is  enabled  to  grow  and  spread.  Not  long 
after  the  fungus  threads  are  established,  they  send  up  into 
the  air  short  branches  which  give  rise  in  a  little  time  to 
rows  or  chains  of  minute  oval-shaped  bodies  (Fig.  76a). 
known  as  spores  (conidia).  These  spores,  which  for  ordinary 


150 


THE   HOP. 


purposes  may  be  looked  upon  as  "seeds,"  are  very  small. 
They  soon  fall  oft'  the  branch  producing  them  (Fig.  76b),  and 
by  their  number — many  thousands  in  a  single  mold  spot — 
increase  the  mealy  appearance  of  the  affected  part.  Being 
necessarily  very  light,  many  are  blown  about  by  the  wind. 
Under  proper  conditions  of  moisture  and  temperature  each 
one  can  germinate  in  a  few  hours  and  produce  a  small 
thread  which  fastens  itself  to  the  leaf  of  the  hop  and  begins 
a  new  mold  spot.  We  can  thus  understand  how  quickly  and 
silently  mold  can  spread  in  a  garden.  From  one  small  patch 
several  thousands  can  arise  in  a  few  days  by  the  production 
and  dissemination  of  these  spores  by  the  wind,  much  as 
thistles  and  other  weeds  may  be  spread  about  the  country 
after  seeds  are  produced.  The  germination  of  spores,  and  the 


a 


FIG.  78.     SINGLE  ASCOCARP. 

&,  Burst,  showing  ascus.    a,  With  its  contained  ascospores.    c,  Free  ascospores. 
Highly  magnified. 

growth  of  spawn  producing  more  spores,  can  be  repeated 
over  and  over  again  in  a  few  day?,  and  it  is  in  this  way  that 
the  mold  spreads  during  the  summer. 

The  spores  and  spawn,  such  as  we  have  mentioned,  are 
short  lived  and  cannot  exist  through  the  winter.  The  fun- 
gus, however,  in  autumn,  or  when  the  leaf  upon  which  it 
is  living  begins  to  die,  produces  upon  its  body  of  threads 
small  round  cases  containing  another  kind  of  spore,  which 
has  the  power  of  resting  during  winter,  and  when  fully 
developed,  these  round  cases  (ascocarps,  Fig.  77)  are  dark 
brown  in  color,  or  almost  black,  and  give  a  rusty  appearance 
to  mold  spots  which  have  been  allowed  to  develop  un- 
checked, especially  those  on  the  underside  of  leaves  and  on 


PESTS   OF   THE   HOP   CROP  151 

the  young  hop  cones.  They  are  hollow,  and  constructed 
somewhat  like  a  football,  that  is,  one  case  inside  another. 
The  outer  case  is  made  of  dark  brown,  strong  material 
(Fig.  78&),  and  acts  as  a  protective  coat  for  the  delicate, 
transparent,  pear-shaped  case  (ascus)  inside  (Fig.  78a).  The 
latter  contains  within  it  eight  spores  (Fig.  78c)  (ascospores) 
about  the  shape  and  size  as  those  produced  upon  the 
upright  threads  mentioned  above,  only  they  do  not  germi- 
nate so  readily.  These  double  cases,  with  their  spores,  are 
produced  in  large  numbers  in  late  summer  or  autumn  in 
a  badly  affected  garden,  and  fall  upon  the  ground  with  the 
dead  leaves,  and  the  spores  within  are  shot  out  into  the 
air,  and  are  carried  to  the  young  bines  and  leaves,  which 
are  then  growing  from  the  hill.  Thus  we  see  why  it  is  that 
mold  generally  commences  close  to  the  ground  and  spreads 
upwards,  and  why  there  are  "moldy  places"  in  the  gardens, 
where  the  malady  begins  almost  every  year. 

Remedies — It  will  be  understood  from  the  fore- 
going account  that  we  are  dealing  with  a  living  pest, 
and  that  it  is  just  as  impossible  to  create  "mold"  as  it 
is  to  manufacture  aphides  or  lice.  Various  methods 
of  cultivation  and  treatment  of  the  hop  plant  and  gar- 
den may  be  conducive  to  the  growth  and  development 
of  the  "mold"  fungus,  but  unless  its  spores  are  present 
or  are  introduced  into  the  garden  from  outside,  spots 
cannot  occur.  Whatever  remedies  are  adopted,  it  is 
absolutely  essential  that  they  should  be  begun  early, 
as  neglect  means  failure.  The  pest  soon  becomes 
established  and  is  then  difficult  to  eradicate. 

I.  Although  the  complete  destruction  of  hop 
mold  is  unattainable,  every  effort  should  be  made  to 
diminish  its  prevalence  by  burning  all  badly  affected 
vines  and  leaves.  This  practice  should  especially  be 
carried  out  in  cases  after  a  bad  attack,  where  the  hops 
have  been  not  worth  picking  on  account  of  moldiness. 
The  vines  should  on  no  account  be  left  lying  about,  as 
the  spore  cases  are  produced  in  thousands  and  fall  upon 
the  ground,  only  to  remain  a  certain  source  of  infection 
for  succeeding  years.  The  application  of  gypsum  to 
the  soil  is  said  to  be  beneficial  in  such  circumstances, 
but  no  trustworthy  experiments  upon  this  matter  have 


152  THE   HOP. 

been  carried  out.    Possibly  lime  might  help  to  destroy 
the  spore  cases. 

2,.  Certain  varieties  of  hops  seem  to  be  specially 
liable  to  suffer  from  this  trouble,  but  apart  from  possi- 
ble inherent  differences  in  the  plants,  more  careful 
manuring  should  be  adopted  in  order  to  produce  a 
healthy  growth.  Excessive  amounts  of  nitrogenous 
manures  make  the  leaves  more  readily  attackable  by 
mold.  Anything  which  reduces  the  vitality  of  the  hop 
— such  as  cold  and  damp  nights,  long  continued 
drouth,  or  wet  weather  and  want  of  proper  amount  of 
sunshine  and  fresh  air — indirectly  aids  mold  in  its  rav- 
ages. It  is  generally  in  "housed-in"  parts  where  the 
air  is  still  and  damp  and  where  light  does  not  easily 
penetrate  that  the  worst  effects  are  seen.  Systems  of 
training  hops  should  aim  at  reducing  these  drawbacks 
to  a  minimum.  Early  training  of  the  lower  part  of  the 
bine  diminishes  the  likelihood  of  attack  from  the  soil 
and  also  allows  of  better  air  circulation. 

3.  The  hop-mold  fungus    not    only  lives    upon 
hops,  but  also  upon  many  wild  plants — groundsel,  dan- 
delion, strawberry,  avens,  meadow  sweet,  and  many 
others.    There    is    little    doubt    that  it  is  from  such 
sources  outside  the  yard  that  many  attacks  of  mold 
are  begun. 

4.  The  fungus  lives  and  develops  almost  entirely 
upon  the  outside  of  the  leaf,  and  on  this  account  it 
would  appear  more  easy  to  deal  with  it  by  means  of 
washes  and  external  applications    of    powdered  sub- 
stances that  those  cases  like  the  potato  disease,  where 
the  growth  of  the  fungus  goes  on  chiefly  inside  the 
leaf.     The  application  by  hand  or  bellows  or  by  spe- 
cially constructed  sulphurators  of  finely  powdered  sul- 
phur to  the  affected  leaf  is  a  remedy  for  mildews  of 
various  kinds,  which  has  been  employed  for  about  half 
a  century. 

Mechanically  powdered  sulphur — roll  brimstone 


PESTS    OF   THE   HOP   CROP. 


reduced  to  a  finely  pulverized  state,  by  hand  or  machin- 
ery —  acts  better  than  that  form  known  as  "flowers  of 
sulphur,"  obtained  by  condensation  of  its  vapor  or  by 
precipitation  processes.  In  any  case,  the  substance 
acts  in  two  ways  (i)  as  a  fungicide  —  that  is,  a  definite 
destroyer  of  the  mold:  and  (2)  as  a  protection  against 
further  attacks  and  spreading,  as  spores  will  not  ger- 
minate uporf  a  sulphured  leaf. 

It  is  chiefly  as  a  protector  that  sulphur  is  so  bene- 
ficial, and  on  this  account  every  endeavor  should  be 
made  to  distribute  it  upon  the  youngest  growth.  As 
a  direct  fungicide,  it  possesses  little  effect,  and  even  for 
this  small  benefit  it  must  be  repeated  frequently  where 
mold  is  bad.  The  best  results  with  sulphur  are  ob- 
served when  the  temperature  is  above  78  degrees  F., 
and  it  is,  therefore,  usually  applied  with  success  on 
clear,  bright,  hot  days,  usually  in  the  middle  of  the  day, 
or  early  morning  when  the  leaves  are  partially  damp 
with  dew.  In  cold  weather  it  is  nearly  useless,  and  in 
wet  days  the  sulphur  is  soon  washed  off  the  leaf.  The 
general  explanation  of  its  action  is  that  the  sulphur  be- 
comes oxidized,  with  the  ultimate  formation  of  sulphur- 
ous acid,  and  this  latter  substance  is  credited  with  the 
destroying  effect  upon  the  mold.  Sulphurous  acid, 
however,  in  exceedingly  minute  quantities,  has  a  del- 
eterious influence  upon  the  hop  leaf  itself.  Some  ex- 
periments have  indicated  the  formation  of  sulphureted 
hydrogen.  The  fact  that  sulphur  works  most  benefi- 
cially on  hot  days,  and  also  that  the  odor  of  a  sulphured 
garden  is  not  like  that  of  either  sulphur  dioxide  or 
sulphureted  hydrogen,  but  resembles  that  of  roll-brim- 
stone itself,  suggests  that  sulphur  vapor  may  be  the 
active  agent.  The  possibility  that  the  -action  is  a  me- 
chanical one  must  also  be  borne  in  mind.  Some  author- 
ities state  almost  any  fine  powder  will  do,  that  road- 
scrapings,  brick-dust,  chalk,  and  ordinary  flour  work 
as  well  as  sulphur. 


154  THE   HOP. 

5.  Under  the  assumption  that  sulphur  has  some 
specific  action  upon  the  fungus,  various  soluble  com- 
pounds containing  the  ingredient  are  employed,  chiefly 
the  sulphides  of  sodium,  calcium,  and  potassium 
("liver  of  sulphur").  These  substances  are,  undoubt- 
edly, of  considerable  use  in  checking  and  destroying 
molds  of  all  kinds.  They  are  readily  soluble  in  water, 
and  are  generally  applied  in  the  ordinary  washes  of 
soft  soap  and  quassia  at  the  rate  of  i^  or  two  pounds  per 
100  gallons  of  wash.  A  wash  of  this  description,  fol- 
lowed by  an  application  of  powdered  sulphur,  is  per- 
haps the  most  effective  and  safe  means  known  at  present 
for  an  attack  of  mold.  The  alkaline  sulphides  in  solution 
do  not  keep  well,  unless  air  is  excluded  from  the  ves- 
sels in  which  they  are  kept.  Practically  all  mold 
washes  have,  as  a  basis,  one  or  more  of  the  above  sul- 
phides in  conjunction  with  substances  like  glycerine, 
which  tend  to  keep  the  wash  upon  the  leaf  till  it  has 
done  its  work,  and  which  also  prevent  too  rapid  oxi- 
dation of  the  active  ingredient.  Although  the  prepara- 
tion of  washes  is  not  difficult,  a  certain  amount  of 
chemical  and  botanical  knowledge  is  essential  to  avoid 
damaging  the  plants,  and  until  this  is  obtained  it  is 
perhaps  the  wisest  plan  to  obtain  chemicals  or 
washes  prepared  ready  for  use  from  experienced 
manufacturers. 

Many  other  substances,  notably  preparations  of 
copper  (Bordeaux  mixture,  "Fostite,"  talc  and  finely 
powdered  copper  sulphate),  have  a  more  certain  effect 
in  destroying  mold,  but  the  application  to  hops  is 
scarcely  feasible  on  account  of  their  somewhat  poison- 
ous properties. 

There  are  various  definite  chemical  and  physical 
differences  between  the  cells  and  cell-walls  of  the  hop 
leaf  and  the  substance  of  "mold"  fungus,  and  it  should 
be  possible  to  construct  a  wash  or  fungicide  dependent 
upon  these  differences.  This,  however,  remains  to  be 


PESTS   OF   THE    HOP   CROP.  155 

accomplished,  but  until  it  is  effected,  washes  and  appli- 
cations of  powders  will  be  uncertain  in  their  action. 

To  the  following  may  be  added  Whitehead's  sum- 
mary: The  action  of  sulphur  is  materially  influenced 
by  conditions  of  weather.  It  is  more  powerful  in  heat, 
when  volatilization  takes  place,  and  appears  to  be  in- 
operative in  dull,  cold  seasons.  It  should  always  be 
put  on  the  plants  in  sunny,  still  weather,  if  possible, 
and  as  soon  as  they  have  got  well  over  the  poles. 
Another  sulphuring  should  be  given  in  about  three 
weeks,  and  a  third  later  on,  especially  if  there  are  any 
traces  of  mildew  upon  the  "burr."  Should  the  fungus 
attack  the  cones  when  developing  or  when  they  are 
out,  sulphur  must  be  used  again,  though,  if  possible, 
this  should  be  avoided,  as  brewers  object  sometimes 
to  hops  that  have  been  sulphured  when  fully  out.  The 
quantity  of  sulphur  applied  for  mildew  varies  from  40 
to  60  pounds  per  acre,  according  to  its  lightness  and 
quality.  In  France,  very  small  quantities  are  put  on 
at  a  time,  with  hand  bellows,  or  soufflets.  Sulphate  of 
copper  solutions  have  been  tried  by  a  few  hop  planters 
for  mildew,  but  as  yet  no  definite  conclusions  have 
been  reached. 

A  hop  blight  more  or  less  common  in  America,  but  not 
injurious  is  Cylindrosporium  hnmuli,  E  &  E.  A  prominent 
leaf  spot  on  the  hop  is  Phyllosticta  humuli,  S.  &  S.  Halstead 
has  found  an  anthracnose  of  the  genus  Cotetotrichum,  which 
causes  blotches  in  the  leaves,  that  turn  white  and  fall  away, 
leaving  the  foliage  full  of  holes.  In  Oregon,  the  hop  root 
bruised  is  apt  to  develop  n  fungus  growth  called  "black 
knot."  If  cut  off  promptly  it  does  no  material  damage,  but 
if  allowed  to  grow  will  cause  the  root  to  die  in  a  couple  of 
years. 

OTHER    PESTS 

Late  frosts  in  spring  may  be  partly  guarded  against 
by  hilling  up  the  young  vines.  Early  frosts  in  fall  may 
.be  mitigated  by  spraying  with  cold  water,  or  by  thick 
clouds  of  smoke  from  bonfires  when  frost  threatens. 

Hail,  wind  and  flood  often  do  much  damage.    If 


156 


THE    HOP. 


s 

fc 


§ 

H 

8 


i 

i 

o 


$ 
E 


PESTS  OF  THE  HOP  CROP.  157 

the  vines  are  promptly  trained  up  again,  a  surprising 
amount  of  the  crop  may  be  saved.  There  is  a  tempta- 
tion to  abandon  a  yard  that  is  badly  down,  especially 
if  the  disaster  occurs  quite  late  in  the  season,  but  unless 
prices  are  very  low,  such  a  condition  will  often  amply 
repay  an  effort  to  set  it  right. 

Wind  has  a  baneful  effect  upon  hop  plants  when 
the  burr  is  forming,  and  afterwards  in  all  stages  of  the 
growth  of  the  cones.  It  hinders  their  full  development, 
and  when  they  are  getting  ripe  the  heavy  gales  which 
often  come  towards  the  end  of  August  make  them 
brown  by  bruising  them.  In  England,  says  White- 
head,  many  kinds  of  screens,  or  "lews,"  are  adopted  to 
lessen  the  force  of  the  wind;  some  natural,  as  quick 
hedges,  in  parts  of  Kent,  which  grow  as  high  as  20  to 
25  feet  in  some  districts,  and  rows  of  Lombardy  and 
other  kinds  of  poplar.  Others  are  made  of  high  poles 
set  closely  together,  or  of  hop  plants  put  as  near  to  each 
other  as  possible,  and  trained  up  poles  pitched  close 
together  around  the  outsides  of  the  hop  yard.  Light 
cloth  of  a  coarse  mesh,  made  of  cocoanut  fiber,  is 
stretched  about  twelve  feet  wide  at  about  eight  feet 
from  the  ground  upon  wires  fixed  to  permanent  poles, 
in  those  parts  of  the  hop  ground  exposed  to  the  pre- 
vailing wind.  Screening  in  this  way  is  expensive,  but 
it  is  now  adopted  by  most  of  the  large  Kentish 
planters. 

Scorching  is  caused  by  the  rays  of  a  burning  hot 
sun  striking  the  plant  when  the  air  is  perfectly  calm  or 
when  there  is  not  sufficient  moisture  in  the  ground  to 
counterbalance  evaporation  through  the  leaves.  The 
effects  of  scorching  may  be  overcome  by  watering  the 
plants  morning  and  evening.  The  disease  usually 
occurs  when  the  hop  is  ripening.  If  after  three  or  four 
days'  watering  it  does  not  disappear,  it  is  better  to  pick 
the  cones  at  once  rather  than  run  the  risk  of  losing 
the  entire  crop.  It  may  be  that  scorching  of  hops  in 


158  THE   HOP. 

California  or  any  hot  climate  might  be  avoided 
by  partly  shading  the  crop,  according  to  the  system 
in  vogue  in  Florida  for  raising  pineapples  or  cigar  leaf 
tobacco  of  fancy  quality,  while  the  same  method  is 
being  used  in  Florida  to  insure  the  orange  crop 
against  frost.  These  sheds  (Fig.  79)  might  be  modified 
so  far  as  to  be  applicable  to  a  solidly  built  trellis  system, 
but  it  is  doubtful  if  there  is  any  practical  virtue  in  the 
idea.  Where  shed  culture  of  tobacco  or  pineapples  is 
practiced,  posts  3x3  inches  are  set  in  the  soil  9x14  feet 
apart  and  7  feet  high.  Stringers  1x8  are  attached  to 
the  top  of  these  posts  the  14-foot  way.  These  support 
the  cover  of  the  shed  and  should  be  braced  at  each  post. 
The  cover  is  made  of  1x3  inch  pine  boards  iS  feet  long, 
laid  flat  and  nailed  to  the  stringers,  leaving  between 
these  boards  a  3-inch  space. 


FIG.   80.      STEPLADDER. 


CHAPTER  XI 

HARVESTING    THE   CROP 


HE  time  between  spraying  and 
harvesting  is  fully  occupied 
in  getting  up  wood  for  the 
dry  kiln,  hunting  hop  pick- 
ers and  repairing  hop  kilns, 
boxes  and  hop  sacks,  get- 
ting supplies  of  hop  cloth 
and  sulphur,  etc.  Every- 
thing must  be  in  readiness, 
so  that  the  work  of  picking 
may  go  forward  without  in- 
terruption. Examine  stoves  and  flues,  and  see  that 
they  are  in  order  and  clean.  Have  the  pump  or  water 
supply  near  the  hop  kiln  in  good  order.  See  that  the 
bunk  houses  for  pickers  and  sleeping  quarters  or  tent 
rooms  are  clean,  neat  and  orderly  for  their  comfort;  you 
lose  nothing  by  this  little  attention  to  the  comfort  of 
your  pickers.  Provide  a  large  trough  with  a  stream 
of  water  going  through  it  for  washing  and  cleansing 
purposes  for  the  help,  and  make  suitable  sanitary  ar- 
rangements, not  forgetting  that  children  often  have 
to  go  picking  writh  their  parents.  Supply  wagons,  with 
meat,  bread,  groceries,  etc.,  should  visit  the  yards  daily 
for  the  convenience  of  the  pickers. 

Get  out  the  hop  boxes,  see  that  the  handles  are  all 
right  and  that  they  are  properly  numbered,  so  that  you 
can  tell  who  picked  the  hops  in  any  box.  Have  your 
hop  tickets  printed  and  ready  for  the  pickers,  and  if 
you  don't  intend  them  to  pass  for  credit  outside  the 

159 


160 


THE   HOP. 


yard  or  to  truck  peddlers,  have  it  so  stated  thereon. 
State  the  value  of  the  ticket  upon  it,  and  have  the  same 
signed  so  that  you  may  know  your  own  tickets.  Give 
all  small  details  your  attention  before  you  commence 
picking,  and  arrange  for  your  dryer,  fireman,  yard 
boss,  pole  puller,  teamster  and  carrier.  Have  your 
wagon  fixed  up  with  hop  rack — a  frame  level  in  sur- 
face, extending  three  feet  over  the  reach  and  covered 
with  boards,  to  carry  about  nine  boxes  of  hops.  Have 
your  thermometers  hung  on  a  cord  with  pulley  under 


FIG.    81.      SCENE  IN  A  KENTISH   HOP  YARD. 

the  hop  floor  ceiling,  and  two  lanterns  with  reflectors 
all  clean  and  oiled  ready  for  night  work,  placed  out- 
side, with  a  glass  to  show  inside  the  ground  floor. 
Sweep  out  your  floors  thoroughly,  rake  over  the  dirt 
floor  of  your  stove  room,  and  put  your  sulphur  pan  on 
a  stand  in  the  center  of  your  stove  room.  Insure  your 
kiln  and  hops  in  a  good,  reliable  company  for  30  days, 
and  don't  be  caught  by  a  fire,  leaving  you  minus  the 
crop  and  money. 


HARVESTING   THE   CROP. 


101 


The  date  of  picking  depends  upon  the  time  of  ma- 
turity. In  Washington  and  Oregon,  the  harvest 
usually  begins  between  September  i  and  10;  in  Cali- 
fornia, it  is  some  days  earlier;  in  New  York,  picking 
begins  between  August  22  and  September  i ;  in  Eng- 
land, about  the  same  time,  and  in  Europe,  from  August 
15  to  25.  Abroad,  the  harvest  usually  lasts  through 
three  weeks,"  as  more  care  is  taken  there  to  have 


FIG.  82.    INDIAN  PICKERS'  LODGES,  CALIFORNIA. 

early,  medium  and  late  varieties  to  thus  extend  the 
harvest.  In  America,  the  bulk  of  the  harvest  is  over 
in  12  to  15  days,  but  owing  to  very  early  or  very  back- 
ward yards,  hop  picking  may  cover  over  a  month. 

Hops  are  ripe  and  ready  for  picking  when  the 
seed  becomes  hard  and  the  point  of  the  cone  closes  up 
and  the  hop  feels  hard  and  solid  when  grasped  in  the 
hand  and  makes  a  rustling  sound  when  touched.  The 
hop  is  known  to  be  ripe  by  the  following  signs:  "Dur- 
11 


162  THE   HOP. 

ing  their  development,  the  leaves  turn  from  pale  green 
to  dark  green,  and  assume  a  peculiar  tint,  indicating  a 
less  active  circulation.  The  odor  of  the  cones,  pre- 
viously herbaceous,  becomes  distinctly  aromatic,  and 
in  some  districts  this  odor  is  so  strong  as  to  inconven- 
ience persons  passing  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  hop 
yard.  The  umbels,  or  cones,  change  from  pale  green 
to  a  bright  yellow  and  green  color.  They  are  closed 
and  the  green  scales  alternate  with  the  yellow  ones.  If 
the  scales  are  stripped  off  and  rubbed  between  the 
hands,  they  impart  a  sticky  sensation,  but  without  any 
trace  of  moisture.  The  cones  now  possess  considerable 
elasticity,  as  may  be  easily  tested  by  the  hands,  and 
the  extremities  of  the  scales  become  brittle."  Later 
the  scales  turn  a  deep  red  color,  and  the  aromatic  odor 
is  still  further  accentuated,  but  the  lupulin  adheres  less 
firmly  and  the  quality  of  the  scales  deteriorates.  The 
hop  is  then  over-mature.  But  hops  "go  off"  so  fast 
that  they  often  have  to  be  picked  before  showing  the 
signs  of  maturity,  while  if  any  light  colored  hops  are 
desired,  picking  begins  before  they  are  ripe,  "though 
this  entails  a  loss  of  weight  and  brewing  powers." 

It  is  therefore  of  utmost  importance  that  the  crop 
should  be  picked  at  the  precise  moment  of  maturity. 
If  picked  before  they  are  perfectly  ripe,  the  cones  pos- 
sess a  beautiful  green  color,  but  lose  more  weight  in 
drying  than  if  picked  at  maturity;  they  keep  badly  and 
contain  less  lupulin,  and  the  lupulin  is  less  adherent. 
A  large  proportion  of  lupulin  thus  disappears  during 
the  different  processes  of  picking  and  packing,  and 
finally  the  grower  has  to  submit  to  a  reduction  in  price, 
corresponding  to  the  loss  in  weight  and  quality,  on 
hops  picked  too  early.  If  picked  too  late,  the  cones 
lose  their  beautiful  yellow-green  color,  so  much 
esteemed  by  brewers. 

In  picking,  the  cones  should  not  be  detached  in 
bunches,  but  two  or  three  at  most  may  be  gathered 


HARVESTING   THE   CROP.  103 

together.  The  stalks,  peduncles,  may  be  cut  with  scis- 
sors, knives,  or  with  finger  nails,  but  care  must  be  taken 
that  the  cut  is  clean.  The  stalk,  or  peduncle,  left  on 
the  cone  should  be  as  short  as  possible  to  avoid  an  ex- 
cess of  bitterness  in  the  beer,  but  in  order  to  keep  the 
cone  intact  and  to  prevent  any  loss,  the  stalk  may  be 
from  a  quarter  to  half  an  inch  long.  Not  a  single  leaf 
should  be  mixed  with  the  cones.  Cones  cut  too  long 
or  mixed  with  leaves  are  inferior,  and  notwithstanding 
the  slightly  increased  weight,  the  market  value  is  con- 
siderably reduced.  The  increased  weight  due  to  the 
presence  of  long  stalks  and  leaves  cannot  exceed  10 
per  cent,  of  the  whole  without  rendering  it  unsalable, 


FIG.  83.      HOP  BIN  FRAME,  NEW  YORK. 

while  the  corresponding  depreciation  would  exceed 
25  per  cent,  on  the  price  obtained  if  the  crop  had  been 
properly  picked.  In  this  matter  of  picking  clean,  the 
utmost  care  must  be  insisted  upon  in  America  as  it 
is  in  Germany  and  Kent.  Picking  into  baskets  holding 
three  to  seven  bushels  is  preferred  by  some,  to  large 
boxes  holding  20  bushels. 

PICKERS    AND    PRICES 

Indians,  Japanese  and  Chinese,  also  whites,  pick 
hops  on  the  Pacific  coast.  In  New  York,  pickers  come 
largely  from  the  villages  and  cities,  as  not  enough  help 
is  available  in  the  rural  districts.  The  same  is  true  in 
England,  wnere  60,000  pickers  come  into  the  hop  coun- 


1G4 


THE   HOP. 


try  from  London.  In  Germany,  the  small  yards  and 
large  families  make  pickers  less  of  a  problem.  All 
ages  and  both  sexes  are  everywhere  employed,  so  that 
besides  providing  accommodations  for  them  to  be  com- 
fortable, due  regard  for  the  moralities  of  life  should 
also  be  provided  for.  The  absence  of  all  restrictions, 
the  indiscriminate  huddling  together  of  the  sexes,  the 
character  of  the  work  and  the  freedom  that  follows 
the  day's  tasks,  all  combine  to  tempt  toward  drink  and 
cohabitation.  Scandalous  abuses  have  thus  occurred 
in  America,  which  make  it  increasingly  difficult  to  get 
good  help,  and  bring  into  the  country  at  every  harvest 
a  body  of  people  who  care  more  for  corrupt  license 


FIG.  84.      PICKING  BIN,   NEW  YORK. 

than  for  the  recreation  or  money  afforded  by  hop  pick- 
ing. Sanitary  and  police  authorities  watch  these  mat- 
ters closely  in  England.  In  New  York,  church  mis- 
sions work  among  the  pickers  commonly.  If  hop 
planters  would  co-operate  with  the  best  men  and 
women  among  the  pickers,  an  esprit  dc  corps  could  be 
created  that  would  insure  "against  most  of  the  possible 
evils  referred  to  and  aid  in  expediting  the  harvest. 

RULES    FOR   PICKING    AND    PICKERS 

In  order  that  the  harvest  may  be  promptly  and 
properly  completed,  it  is  necessary  in  handling  large 
numbers  of  mixed  help  to  have  certain  well-defined 
rules.  These  vary  somewhat  in  different  sections,  but 
the  most  thorough  and  businesslike  are  those  used  by 


HARVESTING   THE   CROP.  165 

the  Plcasanton  Hop  Company  in  handling  Us  3OO-acre 
yard  in  California,  as  follows: 

NOTICE  TO  HOP  PICKERS 

YOU  ARE  ENGAGED  UNDER  THE  CONDITIONS  NAMED  BELOW 

1.  We    pay    —    per    100    Ibs.   to    pickers    who    work 
throughout  the  -harvest,  from  the  time  they  begin  to  work. 

2.  All  pickers  must  weigh  in  twice  a  day.    The  morning 
picking  will  be  credited  to  the  pickers'  accounts,  subject  to 
these  rules,  the  accounts  to  be  adjusted  at  the  end  of  har- 
vest. Each  afternoon's  picking  will  be  paid  for  with  a  nego- 
tiable check. 

3.  Pickers  quitting  before  the  end  of  harvest  will  lose 
all  their  credits  for  mornings'  pickings. 

4.  When  hops  are  improperly  picked,  the  picker  will 
receive  only  one-half  rate  for  the  weighing  in  which  such 
picking  is  found,  and  will  be  notified  as  promptly  as  pos- 
sible. 

5.  When  hops  are  found  heated  or  discolored  from  long 
or  heavy  packing,  the  full  amount  due  for  picking  such  lots 
will  be  deducted  from  the  picker's  account.     [This  because 
the  hops  are  thrown  away.] 

6.  Pickers  who  are  discharged  for  failing  to  do  the  work 
as  required,  will  be  paid  only  oi.e-half  of  their  credits. 

7.  Hops  must  be  picked  clean  from  vines  and  free  from 
leaves  and  stems,  and  sacks  must  not  contain  any  foreign 
matter. 

8.  Pickers  must,  with  use  of  pole  knives,  themselves  get 
down  all  portions  of  vines  left  clinging  to  the  wires,  and 
pick  same  before  going  to  next  vine.     [The  wire  trellis  sys- 
tem is  used.] 

9.  Vines  must  not  be  pulled  at  the  roots  and  must  not  oa 
cut  at  the  bottom. 

10.  Hops  must  not  be  packed  tight  in  baskets  or  sacks. 
Pickers  must  not  get  on  the  hops  in  baskets  or  sacks  or  sit 
on  same. 

11.  Hops  must  not  be  dragged  on  the  ground  on  the 
vines  or  in  sacks. 

12.  No  picking  to  be  done  before  daylight  or  after  dusk. 
Picking  hours  to  be  the   same  for  all  and   limited  by  the 
Pleasanton  Hop  Company  as  the  curing  process  necessitates. 
No  one  allowed  in  the  hop  field  outside  of  picking  hours. 

13.  Pickers  must  bring  their  hops  to  scales  in  sacks 
weighing  not  over  80  Ibs.,  get  their  weights  and  load  them 
on  wagons. 

14.  Each  picker  will  be  given  a  number  which  must 
always  be  shown,  in  plain  view,  for  convenience  of  man- 
aging work  in  field.    Numbers  must  be  exhibited  at  scales, 


166  THE   HOP. 

and  to  get  sacks,  and  same  must  be  surrendered  at  the  office 
at  final  settlement. 

15.  All  picking  will  be  credited  to  the  ''number"   pre- 
sented with  the  hops  at  weighing.     All  empty  sacks  will  be 
charged  to  the  "number"  presented  when  sacks  are  taken 
by  pickers.     The  sacks  brought  to  scales  at  weighing  will 
be  credited  to  the  accompanying  "number"  and  the  picker 
will  be  charged  25  cents  for  each  sack  not  returned. 

16.  Pickers  getting  baskets  will  be  charged  25  cents  for 
each  one  taken  and  credited  with  the  same  amount  on  re- 
turning basket  before  settlement. 

17.  The  company  does  not  furnish  tents  nor  does  it 
board  the  pickers. 

HOP  PICKING  CHECK 

Good  For  Amount  Indicated  if  Presented  Before  October  15  !!L 

NEGOTIABLE. 


,  This  Check  is  issued  for  less 

rur      inD^  w  than  one  dollar' and  is  not 

LnUILLilUrJ  ^  good  if  altered  in  any  man- 
*f  U.S.A.  ^  ner  -  Carbon  Duplicate  kept 
^CouNTi^  by  the  Company  governs 

B    9006Gpayment- 


check    No. 


££*^£ 


CO' 

FIG.  85. 

18.  No  camping  in  hops. 

19.  No  teams  tied  or  fed  on  the  hop  Leld. 

20.  No  smoking  while  picking  or  near  others  at  work. 

PICKERS,  ATTENTION 

As  checks  are  cashed  for  exact  amount  indicated,  pick- 
ers should  see  that  trades  people  give  them  the  full  benefit 
thereof,  either  entire  value  of  checks  or  make  change  to 
the  exact  cent. 

WEIGHERS'  INSTRUCTIONS 

1. ,  Weighers  are  also  "field  bosses,"  and  as  such  fore- 
men have  full  charge  of  their  respective  sections,  they  must 
see  that  all  work  is  properly  done  and  the  picking  rules  ad- 
hered to. 

2.  To  properly  regulate  the  "give  and  take"  of  half 
pounds,  will  take  the  one-half  pounds  on  morning's  picking, 


UNIVERSITY 


HARVESTING   THE 


and  allow  one-half  pounds  in  afternoon's  weighing.    Weights 
must  be  accurate. 

3.  Non-negotiable,      non-transferable        memorandum 
weight  credit  slips    (subject  to  the  picking  rules    and    all 
charges  against  the  party  to  whom  issued)  will  be  given  for 
morning's  picking. 

4.  Negotiable  checks  are  to  be  issued  for  the  afternoon's 
picking,  but  no  single  check  is  to  exceed  99  cents. 

5.  Where  the  afternoon  weight  of  any  picker  calls  for 
payment  of  n%ore  than  99  cents,  then  several  checks  are  to 
be   made   out;    where  possible,  for   even   amounts,   making 
divisions  by  100,  75,  50  or  25  Ibs. 

6.  No  checks  are  to  be  issued  for  less  than  10  cents. 


PICKERS 

Retain  This  Ticket, 


WEIGHT   MEMORfiNDUAt 

it  Must  be  Surrendered  at    Adjustment 

Not  Transferable. 


;CHOI[»SJ 

*-     U.S.A.    * 


% 


has  No  Negotiable 
Value;  it  is  simply  intended 
as  a  weight  credit  tally,  and 

^  is  subject  to  the  Company's 
Rules  and  all  charges  against 

JJ  the  party  to  whom  issued. 


FIG.   86. 

7.  Weighers  can  hold  checks  for  those  pickers  who  do 
not  wish  to  take  them  at  the  scales.     These  must  be  put  in 
individual  marked  envelopes  left  at  owner's  risk  in  the  office 
safe. 

8.  Issue  no  checks  that  show  alterations  of  any  kind. 
If  mistakes  are  made  in  writing,  mark  "VOID"  across  detail 
line  and  turn  in  cancelled  originals  with  duplicates. 

9.  Weighers   will   distribute   sacks,    charging   same   to 
pickers,  and  credit  same  when  returned,  noting  against  the 
scratched     number,    the     letters    "A"    or    "P,"     to    indicate 
whether   same   were   returned   with   morning   or   afternoon 
picking   (and   date  of  return  when  not  brought  in  on  the 
same  day). 

10.  Review   "sack   charges"   daily,   to   make   sure  that 
pickers   are  not  getting  more   sacks   than  they  absolutely 
need. 


168  THE   HOP. 

11.  Tag  sacks   with  picker's   number   before  weighing 
hops. 

12.  Report  to  office  all  charges  for  baskets  and  sacks  not 
returned. 

13.  Report  cause  of  quitting  of  such  pickers  who  stop 
work  or  are  discharged. 

14.  Weighers  must  see  that  all  hops  picked  in  the  fore- 
noon are  "weighed  in"   by  noon.     Likewise,  all   afternoon 
pickings  must  be  taken  to  scales  when  work  is  stopped.  No 
hops  to  remain  in  baskets  or  sacks  during  the  lunch  hour 
or  over  night. 

15.  Arrange  "carbon  duplicates"   according  to  picker's 
number,  and  file  each  morning's  and  afternoon's  tickets  m 
distinct  bunches  for  reference. 

The  above  rules  at  first  reading  may  seem  severe, 
but  a  thorough  system  of  direction  in  the  field  and  an 
occasional  fine  reported  from  the  kilns  when  the  hops 
are  dumped  against  the  "number"  of  a  carelessly 
picked  sack  are  a  salutary  lesson  to  an  entire  section 


FIG.  87.    "SET"  FOR  FOUR  PICKERS. 

and  therefore  few  fines  are  necessary.  Rule  3  may 
seem  arduous,  but  as  employment  lists  are  closed  when 
the  company  has  a  proper  complement  of  pickers,  it 
must  insist  that  those  who  engage  remain  until  the  en- 
tire crop  is  harvested.  Few  wish  to  quit  and  the  rule  is 
of  course  not  enforced  where  there  is  a  good  cause 
for  quitting,  in  which  event,  the  picker  is  paid  in  full. 
So,  too,  Rule  6  is  dependent  upon  the  circumstances 
of  discharge. 

The  price  for  picking  agreed  upon  by  the  growers 
is  generally  based  upon  the  prospective  value  of  the 
crop.  But  these  agreements  do  not  always  hold  good, 
as  there  is  apt  to  be  a  strife  to  get  pickers  after  harvest 
commences,  as  but  few  growers  get  all  the  pickers  they 
have  engaged  and  there  is  always  some  one  short  of 


HARVESTING   TI1E    CROP. 


169 


pickers,  and  for  the  sake  of  getting  their  crop  har- 
vested quickly  they  will  offer  an  advance  above  their 
neighbor.  The  other  growers  will  be  compelled  to 
meet  this  advance  or  lose  a  part  of  their  pickers.  To 
such  an  extent  has  this  been  carried  on  that  in  Wash- 


FIG.  88.    WEIGHING  HOPS  (California). 

ington  during  1896-7  many  growers  paid  as  much 
and  in  many  cases  more  for  picking  than  the  crop 
brought  them  when  sold.  This  trouble  prevails  more 
or  less  everywhere.  Many  hop  yards  are  managed  by 
renters,  who  harvest  their  crops  upon  money  borrowed 


170  THE  HOP. 

from  the  banks  upon  the  owner's  indorsement,  and 
therefore  if  hops  are  worth  only  a  small  margin  above 
the  cost  of  harvesting,  renters,  seeing  they  may  be 
unable  to  make  anything,  and  having  nothing  to  lose, 
do  not  care  how  much  the  harvesting  costs. 

In  America,  from  70  cents  to  $1.25  per  100  pounds 
of  green  hops  has  been  the  range  of  late  years,  mostly 
80  cents  to  $i,  but  $1.25  may  be  paid  when  hop  values 
are  up  and  pickers  scarce.  For  the  '97  crop,  the 
Pleasanton  Company  paid  80  cents  the  first  week,  90 
cents  the  second,  and  $i  the  third  week,  against  70, 
80  and  90  cents  the  previous  season,  whereas  $i 
straight  may  be  paid  in  a  prosperous  season.  In  Eng- 
land, pickers  are  paid  2|  cents  to  6  cents  per  bushel, 
averaging4cents;  as  a  bushel  weighs  about  five  pounds, 
these  prices  are  equivalent  to  from  50  cents  to  $1.20  per 
loo  pounds,  or  an  average  of  80  cents.  In  Germany, 
cost  of  picking  is  still  less,  and  in  many  cases  quite 
nominal. 

An  average  picker  will  pick  from  80  to  125  pounds 
of  hops  per  day — 6  a.  m.  to  6  p.  m., — fast  ones  picking 
as  high  as  200  pounds  under  favorable  conditions,  but 
rapidity  is  apt  to  be  at  the  expense  of  cleanliness.  A 
loo-pound  box  of  green  hops  will  shrink  to  about  25 
pounds  of  cured  hops.  Careful  data  from  Pleasanton 
result  in  this  statement:  "As  the  hops  grow  riper, 
pickers  cannot  get  such  good  results,  whereas  the  more 
mature  hops  lose  less  weight  on  the  kilns  and  there- 
fore better  pay  is  possible.  In  other  words,  the  hops 
grow  lighter  in  weight  on  the  vines  and  dry  out  less 
on  the  kilns  as  the  season  advances,  and  while  it  re- 
quires about  3f  pounds  of  green  hops  at  the  earlier 
stages  of  picking,  hardly  3^  pounds  are  necessary 
toward  the  close  of  harvest  to  make  one  pound  of 
dried  hops,  or  an  average  of  about  3^  pounds,  when  the 
crop  is  properly  handled.  This  at  the  normal  price  of 
$i  per  100  pounds  for  green  hops  would  make  the  pick- 


HARVESTING   THE   CHOP. 


171 


ing  alone  of  one  pound  of  dried  hops  represent  3^ 
cents." 

In  handling  a  large  harvest,  as  at  Pleasanton,  the 
help  are  divided  off  into  gangs  or  sections  of  200  pick- 
ers each  (in  '97  eight  such  gangs  were  needed,  "A"  to 


FIG.   89.      ELEVATING  HOPS  TO  KILN. 

"H"  inclusive),  which  are  in  charge  of  the  "weigher" 
and  an  assistant  known  as  the  "field  boss."  The 
weigher,  as  his  title  implies,  weighs  the  hops,  which 
are  brought  to  the  scales  by  pickers,  and  issues  checks 


172  THE   HOP. 

(Figs.  85  and  86).  He  also  distributes  baskets  and 
sacks  and  makes  all  reports  to  the  office.  He  is  the 
real  "field  boss."  His  assistant,  the  "acting  field  boss," 
circulates  among  the  pickers  to  direct  their  work  and 
see  that  the  rules  are  strictly  observed.  On  a  smaller 
scale,  the  same  general  practice  is  followed  elsewhere. 

When  the  picker's  box  is  full  it  is  delivered  to  the 
weighman,  or  measurer,  who  gives  the  picker  a  check 
for  it  and  retains  the  duplicate  stub  for  the  book- 
keeper, who  compares  same  with  the  record  of  receipts 
at  the  kiln.  In  small  yards,  tab  is  kept  in  a  book  by 
the  measurer.  The  best  system  to  avoid  all  possibility 
of  error  is  to  have  a  paying  machine  like  a  cash  regis- 
ter. The  tickets  are  issued  from  automatic  triplicating 
machines,  the  printed  form  (Fig.  86)  going  to  pickers, 
the  duplicate  being  retained  by  weigher  for  reference, 
while  a  secret  triplicate  roll  remains  locked  in  the  ma- 
chine, which  can  be  opened  only  in  the  office  and  from 
which  postings  are  made  to  individual  accounts  and 
from  which  also  daily  recapitulations  are  made  on  add- 
ing machines. 

By  the  high  trellis  system  (Fig.  48),  the  pickers  cut 
the  strings  and  vines  off  from  the  wires  18  feet  above 
ground  by  means  of  a  knife  on  a  long  pole;  then 
pick  off  the  hops  from  the  reclining  vines,  which  can 
be  readily  handled.  Sometimes  in  England  and  Ger- 
many, the  hop  vine  is  taken  down  and  stretched  on 
hooks  in  the  posts  only  five  feet  above  ground.  On  the 
short  pole  system,  cut  the  vine  just  below  the  hops  and 
in  the  string  above,  slide  the  bearing  vine  down  the 
poles,  then  pick.  On  the  long-pole  system,  the  pole- 
puller  will  cut  the  vine  twro  to  five  feet  above  ground, 
and  draw  the  pole  gently,  laying  it  on  a  crotch  (Fig.  83) 
for  the  picker — not  over  the  box,  as  the  leaves  would 
drop  in  fast.  The  simplest  means  of  taking  out  a  pole 
is  to  pass  a  chain  or  rope  around  it  close  to  the  ground, 
through  which  a  lever  is  passed,  and  with  a  block  of 


HARVESTING   THE   CROP.  173 

wood  as  a  fulcrum  the  lever  is  thrust  deeper  as  the  pole 
is  raised. 

Numerous  efforts  have  been  made  to  perfect  a 
hop-picking  machine.  It  is  only  a  question  of  time  be- 
fore some  device  of  the  kind  will  become  practical,  if, 
indeed,  one  or  two  machines  are  not  already  worthy  of 
general  introduction.  They  will  doubtless  be  so  altered 
and  improved,  however,  that  it  hardly  seems  expedient 
to  devote  more  space  to  them  here. 

When  the  harvest  is  completed,  the  poles  should 
be  carefully  piled  or  stacked,  all  vines  and  strings  col- 
lected and  burned  to  destroy  eggs  of  insects  or  fungi 
(or  the  vines  may  be  used  as  stated  on  Pages  21  and 
77),  and  the  plants  dunged  with  stable  manure  if  the 
land  is  at  all  poor.  Many  are  careful  not  to  cut  the 
vines  at  the  bottom,  where  the  trellis  system  is  used, 
but  let  them  remain  until  killed  by  frost,  in  order  to 
mature  the  root,  when  the  vines  are  cut  and  gathered. 
Sometimes  the  vines  are  cut  into  short  pieces  and 
plowed  under. 


FIG.   90.      TENT  TRAINING. 


THE  HOP. 


FIG.  91.     IMPROVED  ENGLISH  OAST. 

This  represents  the  most  modern  construction  and  all  the  latest  improvements 
in  vogue  in  England.  Erected  for  Mr.  W.  Lillywhite,  Wincheap  Farm,  Can- 
terbury, Kent.  From  a  photograph  taken  for  this  book  by  R.  M.  Elvy. 


CHAPTER  XII 

KILNS    FOR    CURING   HOPS 

N  Germany,  the  growers 
merely  air-dry  or  sun-dry 
their  hops.  This  is  partly 
because  the  average  grower 
has  too  small  a  hop  yard  to 
warrant  a  kiln,  and  also  be- 
cause the  German  trade  pre- 
fers the  present  system.  In 
Germany,  if  a  specially  fitted 
drying  room  has  been  set 
apart  for  the  purpose,  the 

large  baskets  or  sacks  are  at  once  carried  there  and  emp- 
tied, but  if  no  such  room  is  available,  the  hops  are 
deposited  upon  screens  exposed  to  the  sun  but  shel- 
tered from  the  wind,  and  in  the  evening,  they  are 
removed  to  an  airy  barn  and  at  once  spread  on  the 
floor.  When  hops  are  dried  by  this  latter  method,  the 
walls  and  roof  should  be  thoroughly  cleaned  and  dusted 
beforehand,  and  the  floor  well  scrubbed  with  soap  and 
water,  so  that  all  dirt,  vermin  and  bad  smells  are 
removed.  Drying  is  done  by  aeration,  and  dust  must 
be  carefully  excluded.  It  cannot  be  urged  too  forcibly 
that  lofts  or  barns  in  which  hops  are  dried  must  be 
perfectly  clean  and  sweet.  In  any  case,  the  large 
baskets,  filled  or  not,  must  be  emptied  twice  during  the 
day,  for  if  the  hops  are  left  closely  packed  together  for 
more  than  six  hours,  fermentation  sets  in  and  the  qual- 
ity deteriorates. 

It  is  claimed  that  this  "natural  cure"  preserves  far 
more  of  the  essential  oils  and  other  brewing  principles 

175 


176 


TJIE   HOP 


A  B 

FIG.  92.     SECTION  OF   GROUP  OF  KILNS  AND  COOLING  ROOM. 


FIG.  93.      GROUND  FLOOR  OF  KILNS  AND    COOLING  ROOM. 


KILNS   FOR   CURING   HOPS.  177 

than  is  possible  by  the  artificial  hot-air  cure  in  Eng- 
land and  America,  and  that  this  accounts  in  part  for 
the  peculiarities  of  Spalt  hops  that  command  such 
extraordinary  prices.  The  dealers  buy  the  hops  loose 
from  the  grower,  sack  them,  carefully  assort  the  hops, 
putting  all  of  one  color  and  strength  together  before 
bleaching  them  with  sulphur;  single  firms  thus  handle 
and  bleach  20,000  bales  or  more.  Spalt  hops  are  never 
bleached. 

In  England  and  America,  curing  is  done  in  spe- 
cially constructed  houses,  in  which  temperature,  mois- 
ture and  sulphur  fumes  can  be  regulated  to  a  nicety. 
The  construction  of  these  curing  houses  will  be  first 
described. 

ENGLISH    OAST   HOUSES 

are  well  and  briefly  described  by  Whitehead: 

"The  kilns  for  drying  hops  are  of  simple  construc- 
tion, being  occasionally  square,  but  more  frequently 
round,  chambers,  from  1 6  to  20  feet  in  diameter,  with 
stoves  or  fireplaces  in  them,  and  from  14  to  18  feet 
high;  at  this  height  a  floor  of  narrow  joists,  or  oast 
laths,  an  inch  and  a-half  or  so  apart,  is  laid  over  the 
chamber.  At  this  point  the  sharply  sloping  roof  com- 
mences, being  carried  up  to  an  apex  with  a  circular 
aperture  of  from  two  to  three  feet,  upon  which  a  cowl 
is  fixed.  The  roof  is  from  20  to  26  feet  high.  A  sec- 
tion of  a  kiln  is  given  in  Fig.  92,  B,  in  which  the  rela- 
tive height  of  the  various  parts  is  indicated.  The  kiln, 
or  chamber,  is  in  some  cases  merely  a  room  with  open 
iron  stoves  in  it,  as  shown  in  the  two  lower  kilns  of  the 
ground  plan  D  in  Fig.  93  and  in  Fig.  92  B, 
having  holes  at  intervals  in  the  walls,  just  above 
the  ground  level  to  allow  the  admission  of  cold 
drafts  to  drive  up  the  hot  air  through  the 
hops  above.  Over  the  open  stoves,  iron  plates 
are  hung,  five  or  six  feet  from  the  floor,  to  break 


178  THE  nor. 

and  distribute  the  volume  of  heat  from  the  stoves.  The 
cold  air  currents  can  be  regulated  by  shutters  over  the 
draft  holes.  It  is  better  that  the  stoves  in  the 
chambers  should  be  set  in  brickwork,  forming  an  inner 
circle  (Fig.  92,  A,  and  the  two  upper  kilns  in  Fig.  93), 
so  that  the  hot  air  is  more  concentrated,  while 
the  cold  drafts  do  not  mingle  with  it  directly  and 
diminish  its  heat.  Upon  the  floor  of  joists  or  oast  laths 


FIG.  94.  ELEVATION  OF  THE  COMMON  HOP  KILN. 
A,  Stove  room,  with  stone,  brick  or  plastered  walls,  but  no  floor;  B,  drying  room ; 
C,  store  room,  which  has  a  window  in  the  end,  not  shown,  with  tight  shutters; 
Et  ventilator;  F,  platform  from  which  to  pass  up  the  bags  of  green  hops; 
#,  door  into  drying  room;  //,  pipe,  or  smoke  stack  from  stove,  which  is  to  be 
taken  down  when  not  in  uso;  /,  air  holes;  /stairs  10  platform.  The  usual 
dimensions  a»-e  marked  on  the  diagram,  but  these  may  be  altered  to  suit  the 
size  of  the  yard. 

horsehair  cloth  is  nailed  to  prevent  the  hop  dust  from 
falling  through,  and  to  keep  the  hops  from  burning 
(Fig.  92,  A)." 

The  author  begs  to  remark  that  such  "oast 
houses"  are  regarded  by  progressive  American  hop 
growers  as  fifty  years  behind  the  times  and  afford  few, 
if  any,  tests  of  value,  except  of  how  not  to  do  it. 


KILNS   FOR   CURING   HOPS. 


179 


HOP    KILNS    IX    NEW    YORK    STATE 

are  of  various  kinds.  Some  are  very  old,  but  those 
recently  built  embody  many  of  the  improvements  seen 
in  the  new  curing  houses  on  the  Pacific  coast.  A 
familiar  New  York  style  is  shown  in  Figs.  94,  95,  96, 
97  and  98.  The  house  is  usually  divided  into  four 
rooms.  The  stove  room,  where  fire  is  made,  should  be 


FIG.   95.      GROUND  PLAN  OF    HOP  KILN. 

not  less  than  14  feet  high,  and  16  or  18  feet  is 
better,  with  stone  or  brick  walls,  and  no  floor.  If  the 
walls  are  of  wood,  they  must  be  plastered  to  the  top  of 
the  room.  At  the  bottom  of  the  walls  there 
should  be  six  air  holes,  one  by  three  feet, 


FIG.    90.      SECOND    FLOOR  OF    HOP  KILN. 

with  doors  to  close  them  tight  when  neces- 
sary; and  if  the  kiln  is  very  large,  there  must  be 
more  than  six.  The  stoves,  usually  two,  are  large 
enough  to  take  in  three-foot  wood,  with  grate  bars  at 
the  bottom,  and  very  large  doors;  the  pipes  are  carried 
once  or  twice  across  the  room,  as  near  the  level  of  the 
top  of  the  stove  as  possible,  and  then  go  into  a  chimney 


180  THE   HOP. 

on  the  outside  of  the  building.  The  pipe  is  often  run 
several  feet  from  the  building,  and  turned  up  like  the 
smokestack  of  a  steam  boiler,  to  make  a  good  draft. 

There  is  a  door  from  the  stove  room  into  the  bal- 
ing room,  with  a  light  of  glass,  so  that  the  man  who 
attends  the  drying  may  see  the  state  of  the  fires  without 


FIG.   97.     DRAFT  HOP  KILN. 

The  figures  give  the  dimensions,  and  the  letters  indicate  the  same  parts  as  in 

Fig  94. 

going  in;  a  thermometer  on  the  inside  shows  the 
degree  of  heat  at  a  glance.  The  drying  room  is  over 
the  stove  room.  Usually  there  are  joists  laid  across 
the  top  of  the  stove  room,  and  wooden  slats,  one  inch 
by  two,  are  laid  on  them  on  edge,  two  and  a  half  inches 
apart.  On  this  there  is  laid  a  carpet,  usually  made  of 


KILNS   FOR   CUBING 

flax  or  hemp,  with  small  threads,  twisted  hard  and 
woven  loosely,  so  that  the  spaces  between  them  are 
about  one-sixteenth  of  an  inch  or  more,  allowing  air 
to  pass  through  freely.  It  should  never  be  of  cotton. 
The  roof  should  be  carried  up  very  high,  so  as  to  have 
the  ventilator  as  high  as  possible,  and  make  a  better 
draft  to  the  kiln.  This  is  made  with  a  cowl,  which 
turns  by  the  Wind,  or  a  slate  ventilator  is  used,  arranged 
so  as  to  keep  out  the  rain,  while  the  air  can  pass  up 
freely.  The  store  room  is  next  the  drying  room,  but 
the  floor  is  from  three  to  eight  feet  lower,  so  as  to 
make  plenty  of  room  to  stpre  hops  in  bulk  until  they 
are  ready  to  press.  It  should  have  but  one  window, 
which  should  have  a  shutter  to  keep  the  room  dark 
while  the  hops  are  in  it.  They  will  turn  brown  if 
exposed  to  light.  Have  boards  to  set  up,  and  make  the 
end  of  the  store  room  farthest  from  the  drying  room 
into  one  or  two  large  bins,  so  that  any  damaged  hops 
can  be  kept  separate.  Under  the  store  room  is  the  bal- 
ing room;  it  has  a  tight  floor,  and  is  used  to  bale  the 
hops,  store  the  hop  press,  together  with  any  tools  not 
in  use  in  the  yard. 

Another  and  more  modern  plan  is  illustrated  in 
Figs.  106,  107  and  108.  The  size  given  is  large  enough 
for  a  yard  of  four  or  five  acres.  It  should  be  set  in  a 
side-hill,  if  possible,  otherwise  much  hard  labor  would 
always  be  required  to  get  the  hops  up  to  the  kiln.  The 
hop  house  here  described  is  22x32  feet,  with  a  kiln 
1 6xi 6  feet,  and  a  walk  entirely  around  it.  The  stove- 
room  is  12x22  and  two  and  o~e-half  feet  lower  than 
the  level  of  the  kiln,  which  is  1 1  feet  from  the  ground. 
The  joists  (j,  j)  over  the  stove  room  are  two  by  seven 
inches,  upon  which  rest  the  slats  (s,s),  one  and  one-half 
inches  square  and  four  inches  apart.  These  support  the 
strong  linen  strainer  cloth,  which  is  fastened  to  the 
side  boards  of  the  kiln,  by  small  hooks.  At  the  open- 
ings, where  the  hops  are  shoveled  off,  the  cloth  should 


182 


THE  nor. 


be  nailed  down  with  small  tacks.  In  Fig.  127  one  cor- 
ner of  the  kiln  is  shown,  partly  covered  by  joists,  slats, 
and  cloth.  The  dry  room  should  be  double-boarded 
or  lathed  and  plastered  all  around  to  the  eaves,  and 
next  the  store  room  to  the  ridge.  There  should  be  a 
ventilator  directly  over  the  kiln.  The  store  room 
should  be  boarded  on  the  inside,  next  the  dry  room, 
and  a  space  left  for  cool  air  to  pass  up,  as  indicated 
by  the  arrows  in  Fig.  108.  This  prevents  the  hops  in 
the  store  room  being  dried  continually  by  contact  with 


FIG.  98.      SECTION  OF  COWL  TO  DRAFT-KILN. 

a,  Continuation  of  roof;  6,3x5  joist  framed  into  rafters  of  roof;  r.  post,  3x3, 
framed  into  cowl,  and  movable  upon  an  iron  pin  at  bottom,  which  rests  on 
b.  The  cowl  shuts  over  the  termination  of  the  roof,  and  projects  over  it 
about  two  inches. 

the  dry  room.  A  hole  (H)  is  left  in  the  floor  of  the 
store  room,  in  which  a  bottomless  bag  is  fixed  to  con- 
duct the  hops  into  the  box  in  pressing. 

The  stove  room  should  be  double-boarded  out- 
side, and  double-boarded  or  lathed  and  plastered  inside, 
and  supplied  with  convenient  air  holes  at  the  bottom  on 
all  sides,  which  may  be  opened  or  be  closed  up  at  pleas- 
ure. The  stove  is  made  expressly  for  drying  hops. 
The  bottom  is  simply  a  grate,  so  that  the  draft  is 


KILNS   FOR   C THING   HOPS. 


183 


directly  under  the  fire,  and  consequently  greater.  The 
pipe  (p),  which  should  be  seven  inches  in  diameter,  rises 
from  the  stove  to  the  height  of  five  or  six  feet  from 
the  ground,  then  passes  horizontally  into  a  drum, 
12  or  14  inches  in  diameter  and  three  feet 
long,  thence  as  indicated  by  the  arrows  in  Fig.  107,  ris- 
ing gradually,  as  seen  in  Fig.  108,  until  it  reaches  the 
chimney  about  four  feet  from  the  cloth.  Such  an 


FIG.  99.      GROUND   PLAN  OF  KILN. 

A,  stove  room;  B,  stove;  (7,  C,  draft  holes;  />,  D,  coal  bins;  E,  press  room. 

arrangement  of    pipe    keeps    all  the  heat  where  it  is 
needed,  and,  of  course,  saves  fuel. 

The  press  room  should  be  at  least  seven  feet  from 
the  floor  to  the  beam  in  which  the  screws  are  set.  The 
beam,  ten  by  twelve  inches,  may  also  serve  as  a  support 
for  the  floor  of  the  store  room.  The  bed-sill  is  of  sim- 
ilar dimensions,  and  connected  with  the  beam  by  two 


184 


THE   HOP. 


half-inch  iron  rods,  seen  in  Fig.  108.  In  Fig.  107,  B, 
is  seen  the  bottom  plank  of  the  box,  which  is  seventeen 
and  three-quarter  inches  wide  and  six  feet  long,  and  is 
pinned  to  the  sills.  The  side  planks  (c,  Fig.  108)  are 
of  the  same  length  as  the  bottom,  and  two  feet  wide, 
grooved  near  the  ends  to  receive  the  end  pieces.  The 
length  of  the  box  inside  is  five  feet.  The  top  plank 
(d),  one  foot  wide,  is  held  in  place  by  the  ends  of  the 


0 
•0 


FIG.    100.      PLAN  OF  DRYING  FLOOR. 

tenons  on  the  posts  g.  The  cloth  used  for  baling  hops 
is  about  forty-four  inches  wide,  and  five  yards  is  suffi- 
cient for  a  bale. 

The  circular  oast  house  is  also  employed,  like  the 
photograph  (Fig.  123),  and  the  floor  plans  in  Fig.  99 
and  100.  A  circular  or  square  wall  of  brick,  one 
foot  thick,  about  20  in  diameter,  is  carried  up  to 
the  height  of  12  feet;  then  joists  are  placed  in 


KILNS   FOft    CURING    HOPS.  185 

the  wall  at  the  height  of  1 1  feet,  across  which  are 
placed  strips  two  inches  square,  and  nine  inches  apart. 
Over  these  is  spread  a  strong  cloth  made  of  horse  hair. 
Figure  100  shows  a  plan  of  the  drying  floor,  capacity 
35  to  5°  bushels.  The  wall  is  carried  about  two 
feet  higher,  and  plates  are  placed  upon  it,  and 
terminated  by  a  sharp  wooden  roof.  At  the  top  of  the 
roof  should*  be  a  hole  about  five  feet  in  diameter, 
around  which  is  placed  a  circular  plate  somewhat 
larger  on  the  outside  than  the  hole  itself.  Upon  this 
plate  is  placed  a  cowl,  to  keep  out  the  rain  and  let  off 
the  vapor.  It  turns  with  the  wind.  On  the  ground 
floor  is  the  furnace.  A  door  connects  the  kiln  with  the 
storage  room  below  and  the  chambers  above,  for 
receiving,  cooling  and  packing  the  hops.  The  furnace 
is  built  so  that  the  heat  rises  from  the  center.  A  wall 
two  feet  high  is  raised,  upon  which  is  placed  an  iron 
grate,  three  feet  wide  and  four  feet  long.  The  wall  is 
carried  a  few  bricks  higher,  solid,  after  which  it  is 
raised  in  open  work  two  feet  higher,  the  bricks  lapping 
over  each  other  about  two  inches.  The  two  sides  and 
back  end  being  built,  the  top  is  covered  by  flat  tile, 
supported  by  iron  bars,  laid  across.  A  ground  plan  is 
given  in  Fig.  99.  A  double  kiln  of  this  nature  is 
shown  in  Figs,  no  and  in. 

,HOP   KILNS    ON    THE    PACIFIC    COAST 

Many  of  these  have  been  built  since  1890,  and  are 
designed  to  do  their  work  with  the  utmost  perfection 
and  economy  of  capital,  labor,  fuel,  and  maintenance. 
These  objects  have  been  sought  with  special  care  by 
the  Pleasanton  Hop  Company,  whose  buildings  em- 
body many  features  suggested  as  desirable  by  science 
and  practice  in  all  parts  of  the  hop-growing  world. 
This  model  hop-curing  establishment  is  described  in 
detail  in  the  sketches,  plans  and  photographs,  Figs. 
115  to  122,  inclusive.  This  establishment  now 


186 


THE   HOP. 


has  12  kilns,  each  30x30  feet,  all  connected  by 
over-head  trestles  with  the  six  bins  in  each  of  the 
two  large  cooling  rooms  or  warehouses.  The  cars  in 
which  the  hops  are  carried  from  the  kilns  to  the  cooling 
bins  are  30  feet  long  by  12  feet  wide,  big  enough 


cars 


to    take    an    entire   "flooring"   at    once.     The     

have  movable  sides  and  A  -shaped  bottoms,  so  that 
the  hops  can  slide  from  car  to  floor  in  any  direc- 
tion wanted  without  being  rehandled,  which  also 
saves  breaking-.  Indeed,  handling  is  avoided  through- 


KILNS   FOR   CUBING   HOPS.  18? 

out  the  whole  process,  so  as  to  secure  the  whole- 
berried  or  beaky  hops  desired  by  brewers.  The 
hops  remain  undisturbed  in  the  cooling  rooms  until 
ready  for  baling,  and  require  about  a  week  to  cool  off. 
The  large  power  press  in  each  cooler  is  so  constructed 
that  trampling  the  hops  is  unnecessary. 


FIG.    102.      DETAILS  OF  KILN  CONSTRUCTION. 

The  principles  of  construction  outlined  are  also 
applied  in  Oregon,  where  kilns  are  usually  24x24 
feet;  also  in  Washington,  where  a  few  are  22x26  feet, 
rarely  30x30  feet,  and  a  few  old  kilns  are  16  feet  square 
for  10  acres.  The  foundation  sills  (b,  Fig.  102),  of  6x6 
inch  stuff,  rest  on  six  by  six  pieces  (c),  two  and  one- 
half  to  three  feet  above  a  stout  sill  (d)  on  the  ground, 
with  the  space  below  the  sills  open  to  give  plenty  of 


188  THE    HOP. 

draft  to  the  building.  The  studding  (a)  is  of  two  by 
six,  sheathed  outside  with  rustic  boards,  inside  lathed 
and  plastered  to  the  eaves.  The  roof  is  a  half-pitch 
hip-roof,  the  rafters  ceiled  up  with  matched  boards  to 
the  ventilator,  wrhich  should  be  five  feet  square  on  the 
inside,  and  12  or  14  feet  high,  and  boxed  up  to  within 
three  feet  of  the  top,  with  swinging  doors,  to  close  at 
pleasure. 

The  hop  kiln  floor  is  usually  16  feet  above 
the  earth,  or  four  feet  below  the  plates,  as  too  large 
an  air  space  above  the  hops  tends  to  check  the  draft 
so  necessary  to  carry  off  the  moist  vapor  and  steam. 
The  floor  joists  are  two  by  eight,  resting  upon  a  two  by 
eight  plate  let  into  each  stud  one  inch,  and  well  spiked. 
Rough  boards  are  nailed  down  and  covered  with  one 
by  four  inch  boards  to  make  the  floor.  Hop-floor  laths 
an  inch  thick  and  two  inches  wide,  sized  and  with  one 
edge  rounded,  are  placed  on  the  floor  about  an  inch 
apart  (Fig.  102),  upon  which  in  due  time  the  hop  cloth 
or  carpet  is  stretched.  In  the  France  kiln  the 
cloth  is  stretched  on  wires,  and  is  rolled  off  by  a 
shaft  in  the  store  room,  so  that  all  the  hops  are  taken 
off  in  five  minutes  and  the  carpet  put  back  ready  for 
a  new  change  without  losing  the  heat  or  letting  the 
fire  go  down.  An  improvement  on  this  device  is  shown 
in  Fig.  101.  The  hops  are  put  on  from  a  movable  walk 
— a  plank  two  and  one-half  feet  above  the  carpet,  sup- 
ported from  the  rafters  by  wire  suspension  rods — and 
when  the  hops  are  on,  the  plank  is  turned  on  edge. 

The  iron  drying  stove  (Fig.  104),  big  enough  to 
take  in  four-foot  wood,  is  set  in  brickwork,  to  prevent 
fire,  the  underside  of  the  stove  not  lower  than  the  sill. 
A  12-inch  iron  pipe  runs  up  from  the  stove,  break- 
ing into  a  T  (a  a  a,  Fig.  104),  the  two  arms  gradually 
rising  on  supports  (Fig.  iO3),but  being  kept  about  three 
feet  from  the  walls,  to  avoid  fire;  when  the  pipes  reach 
the  other  end  of  the  room,  they  are  joined  by  a  T  and 


KILNS  FOR   CURIKG   HOPS.  189 

carried  into  the  chimney,  built  outside,  which  has  a 
I2xi2-inch  flue.  A  brick  circle,  18  inches  in 
diameter,  is  built  in  the  wall,  to  admit  pipes 
to  chimney  without  heating  wood.  Various  other 
methods  of  running  the  pipe  are  used. 

The  bin  or  cooling  room  for  a  i6-foot  kiln 
is  about  16x20  feet.  If  adjoining,  it  is  five  feet 
lower  than  the  kiln  floor,  with  a  doorway  five  by 
four  feet,  in  halves,  to  put  the  hops  through  when 


FIG.    103.      SUPPORT  FOR  HOT  AIR  PIPE. 

dried;  in  this  case,  allow  one  or  two  feet  of  cold  air 
space  between  the  walls.  Many  build  the  coolers  at  a 
distance,  connecting  by  trestle  work  (Fig.  120),  as  at 
Pleasanton,  to  reduce  fire  risk  and  cheapen  insurance. 
The  bin  should  be  partitioned  off  into  several  rooms, 
so  that  not  over  three  or  four  days'  drying  need  be 
crowded  into  one  room,  as  by  this  means  the  press  in 
the  room  below  (Fig.  121)  can  be  started  sooner. 

The  kiln  floor  is   usually  reached  by   a  driving 


190 


THE   HOP 


gangway  for  team  and  wagon,  to  a  platform  with  a 
good  shed  over  it,  in  which  hops  are  deposited  direct 
from  the  yard,  until  ready  for  loading  the  hop  kiln. 
Wagons  then  pass  down  a  gangway  at  the  other 
end  of  the  platform  to  the  field  level.  Hence  hop 
kilns  are  often  built  in  a  hollow  to  save  as  much  hauling 
up  a  gangway  as  possible.  A  large  elevator  to  carry 
the  sacked  hops  from  wagon  to  kiln  floor  is  cheaper, 
and  on  some  accounts  better,  where  one  has  the  power 
to  run  it. 


FIG.    104.      STOVE  FOR  KILN,   FRONT  VIEW. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 


CURING,    COOLING   AND    BALING   HOPS 


OR  fuel,  charcoal  is  used  in 
Germany.  Its  fumes  appear 
to  have  a  beneficial  effect  on 
the  hops,  while  its  heat  is 
intense,  quick,  and  easily 
regulated.  The  German  hop 
market  will  use  no  other  fuel. 
In  England,  anthracite  coal 
is  employed,  but  coke  is  put 
on  to  keep  the  fires  going, 
and  some  think  it  tends  to 

impart  the  desired  softness  to  hops.     In  America,  dry 
wood  is  almost  the  only  fuel  in  hop  kilns. 

One  wagon  and  team  can  keep  a  ten-acre  yard 
supplied  with  boxes  and  remove  the  boxes  of  hops  to 
the  kiln  platform.  Two  men  are  necessary,  and  these 
will  assist  the  dryer  to  load  the  kiln  when  ready,  as  it 
requires  three  men  to  load.  The  dryer  and  a  fireman 
are  required  to  attend  the  stove  and  drying,  working 
alternately  in  shifts  of  twelve  hours,  changing  at  noon 
and  midnight,  so  that  each  may  have  sleep  in  the  night. 

CURING    THE    HOPS 

Everything  being  in  readiness,  the  hops  are  deliv- 
ered at  the  kiln  loosely  in  large  sacks,  if  picked  in  bas- 
kets, or  in  120  bushel  hop  boxes.  The  floor  cloth  is 
carefully  stretched — 10^— ounce  burlap  or  a  strong 
duck  is  used  for  the  carpet  or  kiln  cloth; 
eight-ounce  cloth  is  too  thick  and  causes  too  much  of 
the  lupulin  to  fall  on  the  pipes.  The  men  wear  sewed 

191 


192 


THE  HOP. 


FIG.  105.   A  HOP  BALING  PRESS. 


CURING,    COOLING   AND   BALING. 


193 


shoes,  that  no  nails  may  tear  the  carpet.  The  sacks 
of  hops  are  carried  into  the  kiln  and  placed  on  the  floor 
near  where  they  are  to  be  emptied,  without  dragging 
them  across  the  carpet,  and  are  emptied  as  lightly  as 
possible,  without  shaking  the  floor,  so  as  not  to  break 
the  hops  nor  settle  those  already  emptied.  As  fast  as 
emptied,  the  hops  should  be  loosened  and  leveled  with 
a  wooden  barley  fork.  The  floor  can  be  laid  to  a 
depth  of  three  to  four  feet,  but  at  that  depth  it  will  re- 
quire a  long  time  to  dry,  and  the  bottom  hops  would  be 


PIG.  106.     ELEVATION  OF  HOP  HOUSE,  NEW  YORK— See  Page  181. 

scorched  while  the  lop  ones  would  hardly  be  dried.  It  is 
best  not  to  lay  them  deeper  than  can  be  dried  and 
moved  in  twenty-four  hours,  and  the  picking  should 
be  stopped  when  enough  have  been  secured  for  this 
purpose.  Therefore,  it  is  bad  policy  to  have  too  many 
pickers,  as  they  become  dissatisfied  if  compelled  to  lay 
idle  any  portion  of  the  day. 

Hops  that  have  been  heated  in  the  sack  while  wait- 
ing to  go  on  the  kiln,  will  become  smudged  and  discol- 
13 


194 


THE   HOP. 


ored,  and  it  is  absolutely  impossible  to  make  a  choice 
hop  out  of  them,  as  nothing  can  be  done  to  bring  them 
back  to  their  original  state  after  they  have  once  become 
heated  and  spoiled.  There  is  no  reason  why  hops 
should  heat  in  the  sack  if  growers  would  observe  a 
little  diligence.  The  heating  of  hops  in  the  sacks  is 
caused  by  either  packing  them  in  too  tightly  or  from 
permitting  the  pickers  to  sit  on  them  as  if  the  sacks 
were  cushioned  chairs.  Also  avoid  allowing  the  sacks 


FIG.  107.      GROUND  PLAN  OF  HOP  HOUSE     SHOWN  IN  FIGURE  106. 

Showing  the  arrangement  of  stove  and  press  room.  S,  stove;  P,  pipe;  //,  trap 
door  in  room  above  to  let  down  hops  to  press;  /i,  B,  bottom  of  press;  b,  6,  ke\s 
to  hold  the  sideposts  of  pres^;  o,  o,  railway  lor  moving  press  under  the  hole 
H.  In  this  figure  the  positions  of  the  joists  ;,;',  and  slats  s,  s,  of  the  floor 
above  are  also  shown. 

to  remain  on  the  platform  too  long,  and  when  there 
see  that  the  sacks  are  not  piled  on  top  of  one  another. 
Do  not  pack  too  many  hops  in  a  sack. 

On  a  deep  "floor"  the  hops  may  have  to  be  turned, 
or  they  may  be  scorched  or  imperfectly  dried.  Many 
careful  hop  men  oppose  deep  floors  and  turning  of 
hops,  though  practiced  everywhere.  The  deep  floor  also 
requires  excessive  heat.  If  the  hops  get  "packed"  they 


CURING,    COOLING   AND   BALING. 


195 


must  be  stirred,  using  a  long-pronged  fork,  with  ends 
of  tines  turned  up  to  avoid  pricking  the  cloth.  In  New 
York,  the  floor  is  usually  12  to  18  inches  deep,  deep- 
ening as  the  harvest  proceeds  and  the  hops  get  dryer. 
A  fan  blast  is  often  used  to  force  a  current  of  heated 
air  through  deep  hops,  and  this  may  prevent  the  need 


DRY  ROOM. 


u        u        U        U        U        u 
J 


STOVE  ROOM 


UNIVERSITY 
CALIFOB 


HI i 


4 


MESS    C 


FIG.  108.      SECTION    OF  HOP  HOUSE  SHOWN  IN  FIG.    106 

Showing  stove,  dry,  store  and  press  rooms.  S,  Stove;  P,  pipe;  (7,  movable  sides 
of  press;  d,  upper  plank  of  press;  </,  f/,  posts  to  support  sides  of  press;  6,6, 
iron  rods,  which  connect  the  bed-sill  with  the  strong  beam  above. 


of  turning.     On   the   Pacific  coast,  hops  are  seldom 
laid  over  24  inches  deep,  and  20  inches  are  ample. 

The  object  in  curing  hops  is  to  evaporate  their 
excess  of  water  without  loss  of  other  qualities,  and  in 
the  least  possible  time.  Green  hops  contain  from  70 
to  75  per  cent,  of  water;  cured  hops  from  7  to  10  per 
cent.  This  change  is  usually  effected  in  12  hours, 
the  morning  pick  going  in  at  noon  and  the  afternoon 


J96  THE   HOP. 

harvest  at  midnight.  As  a  floor  four  feet  deep  and 
16  feet  square  will  contain  about  45  boxes,  or 
900  bushels,  'the  green  weight  of  4,500  pounds 
shrinks  to  some  1,100  pounds.  Thus,  the  3,400  pounds 
of  water  in  the  hops  has  to  be  evaporated  and  carried 
off  during  the  12  hours.  Hot  air  to  evaporate  the 
water,  and  a  strong  current  to  carry  the  vapor  off  are 
essential.  Hence,  the  need  of  an  abundant  inlet  of 
cool  air  into  the  stove  or  heating  pipes,  and  of  ample 
ventilation  to  draw  off  the  hot  vapor  in  such  a  way 
as  to  create  a  strong  draft  or  current  of  heated  air 
through  the  light  and  fluffy  mass  of  hops. 

After  the  floor  is  laid,  the  fire  should  be  started  and 
the  heat  raised  to  the  desired  point  in  two  to  four 
hours.  If  the  heat  is  rushed  up  quickly,  it  will  cause 
the  hops  to  pack,  whereas  they  should  be  kept  so  light 
that  the  heated  air  will  freely  circulate  about  every  hop. 
At  the  start,  open  wide  the  ventilators  in  the  cowl,  to  let 
the  steam  off  freely,  and  as  long  as  steam  is  emitted, 
see  that  the  sulphurous  acid  fumes  permeate  the  air. 
When  the  steam  is  gone,  or  nearly  so,  stop  the  sulphur 
and  close  the  ventilators  halfway.  This  is  in  about  10 
hours,  generally,  on  a  12-hour  cure,  depending  on 
the  condition  of  the  hops.  Finally,  close  the  ventila- 
tors tight,  to  allow  the  top  layers  to  be  dried  off. 

It  is  not  possible  to  describe  in  words  the  con- 
dition hops  are  in  when  the  cure  is  done  and  the  floor 
ready  to  renew.  It  must  be  learned  by  actual  experi- 
ence, just  as  the  qualities  and  curing  of  cigar  leaf 
tobacco  can  be  judged  only  by  experts.  Meeker 
attempted  to  do  this  in  his  book,  from  which  we  quote: 

"An  ideally  cured  hop  would  show  only  a  wilted  stem,  or 
core,  of  a  purplish-green  cast,  being  soft  to  the  touch  and 
flexible;  the  globules  of  lupulin,  standing  out  prominently, 
bright  and  unchanged  from  that  of  an  uncured  hop.  In  prac- 
tice, however,  most  of  the  stems  are  not  only  wilted,  but  are 
dried  so  as  to  be  brittle  and  harsh  to  the  touch,  and  show 
the  sharp  corners,  which  will  be  readily  understood  by  any- 
one taking  a  specimen  between  the  thumb  and  finger  and 


CURING,    COOLING    A^D   BALING.  19? 

rubbing  the  hop  to  pieces.  Because  of  the  presence  of  these 
over-dried  hops,  we  are  able  to  turn  off  the  flooring  with  a 
small  percentage  of  fat  hops,  being  those  whose  stems  are 
not  wilted,  but  show  as  green  as  when  placed  in  the  kiln. 
Floorings,  with  10  per  cent,  of  such  stems,  may  be  turned 
off,  and  yet  keep,  if  otherwise  well  and  evenly  cured  and 
properly  handled  afterward,  though  I  should  by  no  means 
advise  leaving  so  large  a  percentage;  probably  not  five  per 
cent,  of  such  stems  are  left  in  ordinary  practice.  Whatever 
there  may  be  will  have  disappeared  in  a  couple  of  days,  and 
such  stems  as  were  green  will  be  wilted  and  the  moisture 
absorbed  by  the  balance  of  the  hops.  The  after-handling 
consists  in  forking  the  hops  over  after  they  have  lain  a  few 
days  and  have  begun  to  warm  up,  as  hops  in  bulk  will  do  where 
not  dried  thoroughly.  A  better  plan  is  to  cure  at  a  lower 
temperature,  which  will  insure  a  larger  percentage  of  wilted 
stems,  and  less  of  those  with  sharp  corners,  as  likewise  of 
the  green  stems  and  a  more  even  color." 

If  hops  are  slack-dried,  they  will  "give"  when 
cooled  off.  If  over-dried,  they  will  fall  to  pieces  or  shell 
badly,  feel  harsh  and  the  stems  will  be  brittle. 


FIG.    109.      SHOVEL  AND  BRUSH  FOR  USE  IN  KILN. 

This  last  state  can  be  helped  by  putting  a  quart 
of  salt  in  a  pan  on  the  stove  and  shutting  the  ventila- 
tors for  a  short  time — a  little  trick  that  will  soften  and 
toughen  the  otherwise  brittle  hops.  Even  on  brittle 
hops,  salt  must  be  used  with  care,  and  never  on  hops 
that  are  all  right.  It  causes  hops  to  absorb  moisture, 
especially  in  Oregon  and  Washington.  A  hop  that 
absorbs  moisture  before  being  baled  is  liable  to  be 
clammy  and  boardy. 

When  the  hops  are  done,  draw  fire  at  once,  and 
open  ventilators,  and  allow  the  heat  to  go  off;  then 


198 


THE   HOP. 


carefully  remove  the  floor  into  the  cooling  room.    This 
is  done  with  a  rake  or  box  shovel  (Fig.  109). 


COOLING    AND    BALING 


Before  removing  to  the  cooling  bin,  the  floor  of 
hops  is  allowed  to  cool  off  for  an  hour.  Where  the 
box  shovels  (Fig.  109)  are  not  used,  hops  are  taken 
from  the  floor  in  wheel  scoops,  operated  by  one  or  two 
men,  or  pushed  by  rakes  into  cars  (Fig.  1 12).  The  floor- 


FIG.  110.   ELEVATION  OF  DOUBLE  KILN,  NEW  YORK. 

cloth  is  carefully  swept  with  a  peculiar  broom  (Fig. 
109),  to  save  all  the  lupulin  and  dust,  and  as  a  guard 
against  danger  of  fire.  If  a  floor  comes  off  red,  discol- 
ored, or  with  traces  of  mold,  keep  such  hops  separate; 
don't  mix,  or  you  will  reduce  the  price  of  all  the  hops. 
Strive  by  all  means  to  keep  qualities  separate,  if  more 
than  one,  so  that  the  buyer  gets  his  goods  as  he  bought 
them,  and  thus  insure  a  reputation  for  yourself. 


CURING,    COOLING    AND    BALING. 


199 


English  and  German  practice  is  to  pack  the  hops, 
while  still  warm,  into  sacks  about  six  by  three  feet,  con- 
taining about  125  ppunds  and  called  "pockets."  These 
bales  are  usually  sent  to  market  at  once,  and  if  not 
promptly  sold  to  the  brewer  (who  puts  them  into  cold 
storage)  are  stored  in  large,  cool,  airy  warehouses,  so 
stocked  as  to  permit  a  free  circulation  of  air  about  each 
bale;  otherwise,  the  hops  may  become  crusted  and 
damp.  Prompt  packing  while  warm  prevents  the 
escape  of  the  volatile  sulphurous  acid  gas,  the  reten- 
tion of  which  in  the  bales  adds  to,  or  rather  preserves, 
the  brewing  qualities.  This  gas  is  exceedingly  vola- 
tile, and  the  more  it  escapes  before  hops  are  packed, 


FIG.   111.       GROUND  PLAN  OF  DOUBLE  KILN  SHOWN  IN  FIG.  110. 

the  less  will  be  its  beneficial  effect.  Kammerer  showed 
in  his  tests  at  Nuremberg  that  sulphured  hops  left  open 
and  unbaled  for  four  weeks,  steadily  lost  their  binoxide 
of  sulphur,  until  after  four  weeks  they  contained  only 
25  per  cent,  as  much  as  when  first  off  the  cloth. 
Another  argument  for  packing  while  still  hot,  is  that 
the  hops  contain  less  water  than  in  any  other  period, 
and  if  allowed  to  cool,  will  rapidly  absorb  water,  thus 
partly  counteracting  the  object  of  the  cure.  Scientific 
experiments  on  all  these  points  would  be  highly 
interesting. 

In   America,   however,   thorough    cooling   is   the 
rule,  partly  because  when  baled  cold    the    hops  are 


200  THE   HOP. 

alleged  to  keep  much  better  during  the  often  long 
interim  before  they  reach  market.  In  some  cases,  they 
lie  in  the  bin  twenty-four  hours,  and  are  then  put  into 
another  store  room  for  ten  days  to  sweat.  The 
dried  hops  remain  in  the  bin  until  they  commence  to 
toughen  or  "come  in  case/'  which  takes  from  three  to 


FIG.  112.     CAR  AT  KILN  TO  RECEIVE  HOPS  (Pleasanton). 

A,  Upward  sliding  doors  of  kilns,  through  which  hops  are  pushed  fr-  in  floor; 
B,  wooden  apron  down  which  hops  slide  (to  prevent  their  breaking),  with 
the  car,  c,  ready  to  receive  the  dried  hops  to  be  carried  to  the  coolers. 

.seven  days,  depending  upon  the  temperature  and  den- 
sity of  the  atmosphere.  But  if  allowed  to  he  too  long, 
they  again  become  very  brittle  and  break  badly  in 
pressing;  if  left  until  they  again  show  moisture,  they 
pack  in  the  press  hard  and  solid,  and  samples  taken 


CURING,    COOLING   AND   BALING. 


201 


from  them  are  what  dealers  call  boarcly  and  which  they 
claim  are  slack-dried.  If  hops  are  to  be  held  by  the 
grower  for  some  months,  there  is  considerable  testi- 
mony to  show  that  they  can  be  kept  with  less  injury 
in  bulk  than  in  bales.  Meeker  inquired  particularly  into 
this  point,  and  still  believes  it  is  fully  demonstrated. 
Of  course  the  warehouse  must  be  kept  cool  and  very 
dry,  so  the  hops  in  bulk  will  neither  heat  nor  absorb 
moisture. 

Meeker  covers  another  important  point  as  follows: 
"One  objection  to  the  practice  of  baling  immediately 


FIG.'  113.      THE  HARRIS  HOP  PRESS. 


after  curing  is  that  the  grower's  crop  will  not  run  as 
even  in  quality  as  if  carefully  stored,  in  order  that  they 
may  mix  the  whole  thoroughly.  The  earlier  pick- 
ing will  be  lighter;  that  is,  not  so  rich  as  the  later,  be- 
sides no  field  of  hops  will  be  of  exactly  the  same  quality 
and  color,  even  if  picked  on  the  same  day.  To  most 
effectually  mix,  so  as  to  have  the  whole  crop  uniform, 
the  warehouse  should  be  filled  in  layers,  first  covering 


202 


THE   HOP. 


the  whole  floor  about  two  feet  deep,  and  gradually  fill 
by  adding  successive  layers;  then  when  baling,  by  tak- 
ing the  whole  depth  of  the  pile  there  will  be  no  appre- 
ciable difference  in  color  or  value.  This  plan  gives 
uniform  samples  from  every  bale,  a  point  highly  desired 
by  the  buyer." 

Great  care  should  be  exercised,  so  as  not  to  break 
the  hops  during  the  process  of  baling.  Many  growers 
tramp  the  hops  with  their  feet  without  using  any  board 
to  rest  on  the  hops.  In  fact,  we  know  cases  where 


FIG.  114.   THE  PRESS  WITH  FRONT  REMOVED. 

growers  actually  stamp  the  hops  in  the  presses  with 
their  feet.  A  horse-power  press  that  does  not  require 
any  tramping  is,  of  course,  preferable,  but  these  presses 
are  expensive  and  not  all  growers  can  afford  them.  A 
hand-power  press  that  requires  the  follower  to  be  run 
down  more  than  once,  can  be  made  to  bale  hops  in  per- 
fect shape  by  using  the  board  mentioned  above,  and 
a  springy  motion  of  the  knees,  while  standing  in  the 


CURING     COOLING   AND   BALING. 


203 


press,  instead  of  tramping  them,  will  prevent  the  hops 
from  breaking.  A  hop  that  is  broken  from  any  cause, 
whether  from  baling  or  otherwise,  is  far  from  a 
"choice"  hop.  It  may  be  all  right  in  other  respects, 
but  the  mere  fact  that  it  is  broken  will  detract  from  its 
selling,  as  well  as  its  brewing,  qualities,  and,  in  addi- 


F1G.  115.   PLEAS  ANTON  HOP  KILN.     FRONT  ELEVATION.     INTERIOR 
VIEW  GIVEN  OF  KILN  AT  THE   LEFT. 

a,  Ventilation  regulator  (opens  and  closes  by  pulley  ropes  extending  to 
kiln  floor);  6,  kiln  floor  30x30,  built  of  l^xl  inch  slats  set  on  edge,  with  \yz 
Inch  space  between  each  slat  to  allow  heat  from  furnace  and  pipes  to  pass 
through  hops.  Over  the  slats  is  laid  a  carpet  of  10-ounce  burlap  to  prevent 
hops  from  falling  through.  On  this  floor  the  green  hops  are  spread  for  drying 
process;  c,  section  of  heating  pipes  detailed  in  Fig.  118;  </,  furnace,  of  boiler 
iron,  6  feet  long,  4  feet  diameter,  with  brick  supports  and  brick  enclosure  pro- 
vided with  draft  doors  as  shown;  e,  car  with  movable  sides  and  bottom,  used 
to  transport  the  dried  hops  from  the  drying  floor  to  coolers  (Figs.  120  and  121); 
/,  upward  sliding  doors  through  which  the  dried  hops  are  shoved  from  kilns 
to  cars;  g,  elevator  wheel,  for  hoisting  the  green  hops  in  sacks  from  wagons 
to  kiln  floor.  About  a  ton  are  hoisted  at  one  time,  the  hops  being  placed  on 


.  the  elevator  platform;  A,  stairway  built  outside  of  kilns  and  com 
kiln  platform  with  car  track;  •/,  door  to  furnace  room ;  J,  car  track  1 


kiln  pli 

trestle, CT__,    0  ,  

60  feet  high,  provided  with,  m, ,  dampers  for  regulating  draft  in  chin 
elevated  platform  outside  of  kiln  room;  o,  2%  inch  hydrants  connecte 
ft-inch  water  main  trom  tank  and  steam  pump;  p,  I  inch  automatic  spri 
5  over  each  kiln  floor,  and  connected  with  same  water  service. 


20  feet  high,  connecting  kilns  and  coolers;  /,  brick  and  iron  cl  imney 

fwitli 
iklers, 


ecting 
lilt  on 


tion  thereto,  a  broken  hop  will  naturally  age  more 
quickly  than  a  whole-berried  or  a  "flaky"  one. 

Before  beginning  to  pack  the  hops  in  bales,  get 
ready  the  sacking  (weight,  20  to  24  ounces  per  yard), 
twine  for  stitching,  brush  and  stencil  brad,  with  four 
men  to  do  the  work.  Cut  the  cloth  four  inches  longer 


204 


THE   HOP. 


than  the  press,  thus  allowing  two  inches  on  each  side 
for  stitching.  Put  the  bottom  cloth  in,  fill  up  the 
press  to  the  middle  with  hops;  then  let  two  men  get  in 
to  press  them  down  with  their  feet,  having  a  three- 
fourths-inch  board,  covered  with  cloth,  the  full  size  of 
inside  of  press  (less  one-half  inch  all  around),  for  the 

A 


FIG.  116.      SIDE  ELEVATION  OF  KILNS— INTERIOR  VIEW  AT  LEFT. 

a,  Ventilators;  b,  hop  drying  floor:  c,  heating  pipes;  d.  front  of  stove  showing 
brick  enclosure;  Asides  of  hopper,  detailed  in  Fig.  117, /,  elevated  platform; 

g,  trestle  supporting  car  track;  h,  door  to  furnace  room;  a',- door  to  hop  drying 
oor. 

men  to  stand  upon  so  as  not  to  break  the  hops. 
Then  get  out,  remove  the  board,  again  fill  up 
and  again  press  the  hops  down  with  the  board. 
Next  fill  up  with  hops  to  the  top,  lower  the 
press  and  squeeze  down;  lift  up,  fill  up  again, 
insert  top  cloth  cut  just  the  same  as  the  bottom,  and 


CURING,    COOLING   AND   BALING. 


205 


press  down  with  the  clamps.  Open  the  sides  and  again 
press  down  about  two  inches  more.  Sew  on  the  cloth 
sides  with  a  sacking  needle  and  twine,  and  then  draw. 
Deliver  the  bale  to  the  fourth  man,  who  will  complete 
the  sewing  of  the  sides  and  store  away.  The  press 
should  be  run  down  until  the  cloth  will  lap  at  least  one 
inch  on  eaeh  side  of  the  bale,  and  the  cloth  should 
be  evenly  but  not  too  tightly  drawn,  and  sewed  with 
short,  even,  lock  stitches,  causing  the  strain  when  the 


FIG.  117.      DETAIL  OF  HOPPER. 

-4,  A,  Space  occupied  by  furnace  (shown  at  of,  d.  in  Fig.  115)  with  surrounding  wall. 
On  this  wall  rest  the  main  supports,  B,  of  hopper,  and  smaller  supports,  C. 
To  these  supports  are  nailed  iron  laths  (covered  with  plaster),  making  the 
structure  practically  fireproof. 

bale  is  loosened  to  come  evenly  on  all  the  stitches.  After 
being  removed  from  the  press,  the  ends  should  be 
sewn  in  at  once  before  the  bale  commences  to  sweat. 
A  number  of  styles  of  presses  are  used.  Large  plants 
employ  power  presses,  which  do  away  with  tramping 
the  hops  and  save  breaking  them.  The  two  presses 
at  Pleasanton  can  each  turn  out  80  to  100  bales  a  day, 
extraordinary  capacity  being  necessary  to  handle  its 
crop  of  over  3,000  bales. 


206 


THE   HOP. 


Bales  should  weigh  not  less  than  185  pounds  nor 
more  than  200  pounds,  as  near  to  185  pounds  as  pos- 
sible. To  make  the  bales  conform  to  this  limit,  it  is 
necessary  to  weigh  each  bale  as  it  comes  from  the  press, 
to  be  able  to  determine  how  to  fill  the  press  for  the  next 
bales;  or  it  can  be  closely  judged  by  noticing  how 
many  "scoops"  are  required  per  bale.  Stencil  the  bale 
plainly  with  your  brand,  which  should  also  give  grow- 


a. 


/> 


FIG.  118.      ARRANGEMENT  OF  HEATING  PIPES  AND  DRUMS. 

a,  a,  12-inch  main  pipe  leading  from  furnace  and  with  continuous  turns  and  as- 
cending, as  shown  in  Fig.  116,  finally  ending  at  chimney,  "e."  At  intervals  22 
inch  drums  (d),  8  feet  long,  are  placed  to  give  more  heating  surface  and  to 
more  evenly  distribute  the  heat.  The  pipes  are  of  sheet  iron  with  riveted 
seams. 

er's  name,  postofrke,  county  and  state.  Don't  stencil 
the  weight.  This  will  be  done  in  the  buyer's  presence. 
He  will  deduct  five  pounds  from  each  bale  for  the  cloth 
(which  is  the  law  in  New  York  state),  and  unless  this 
is  stipulated,  he  will  want  to  deduct  seven  pounds. 

In  storing  hops,  the  bales  should  be  set  on  end, 
not  touching  each  other,  and  if  they  are  to  be  stored 


CURING,    COOLING   AND   BALING.  207 

more  than  one  bale  deep,  a  couple  of  boards  can  be  laid 
on  one  row  for  the  upper  row  to  stand  on.  If  they  are 
to  remain  in  storage  any  length  of  time,  the  bales  are 
best  turned  the  other  end  up  every  10  days  or  two 
weeks. 

ADDITIONAL   NOTES    ON    CURING 

Hops  from  young  yards,  and  hops  damaged  by 
mold,  require  to  be  entirely  dry,  and  may  be  finished 
up  with  a  few  degrees  more  heat.  They  also  require 
pressing  sooner,  as  they  slack  and  become  moist 
sooner,  on  account  of  the  core  or  stem  being  larger. 

Green  hops  are  liable  to  become  heated  if  allowed 
to  remain  in  bulk,  even  over  night,  and  it  is  advisable 
to  stir  them  late  in  the  evening  if  they  have  to  be  kept 
over.  Heating  will  cause  the  lupulin  to  drip  out.  If 
the  hops  should  come  to  the  kiln  hot  and  wilted,  it  will 
be  found  to  be  a  good  plan  to  thoroughly  dampen  them 
with  a  sprinkling  pot  of  water  as  the  flooring  is  being 
laid.  This  causes  them  to  freshen  up,  and  the  escaping 
steam  \vill  open  up  the  leaves  of  the  strobile,  thereby 
letting  the  heat  season  out  the  core  of  the  hops  without 
baking  all  the  life  out  of  them  by  exposing  them  to 
long  continued  heat.  If  the  hops  are  to  remain  long  on 
the  platform  before  going  into  the  kiln,  the  sacks  should 
be  set  so  as  not  to  touch  each  other,  the  mouths  of  the 
sacks  opened,  and  the  person  caring  for  them  should 
run  his  hand  and  arm  down  through  the  center  to  the 
bottom  of  each  sack,  then  grasp  a  large  handful  of  hops 
and  draw  the  hand  out.  This  will  loosen  the  hops  up 
and  leave  a  hole  through  the  center,  permitting  the 
air  to  circulate  freely,  preventing  the  hops  heating  in 
the  sacks. 

The  proper  temperature  for  curing  hops  is  a  mat- 
ter of  dispute.  The  trouble  is  that  with  limited  kiln 
accommodation,  it  is  necessary  to  cure  the  hops  in  12 
hours,  and  to  do  this  extreme  heat  is  required.  The 


208 


THE   HOP. 


CURING,    COOLTfrn   AkrrKALING.  209 


kilns  can  hardly  be  used  for  other  purposes;  they  are 
costly  to  build  and  maintain,  and  the  average  planter 
finds  it  more  profitable  to  run  the  risk  of  a  quick  cure 
than  to  have  sufficient  accommodation  to  cure  his  hops 
at  a  lower  temperature,  which  would  require  24  hours 
to  each  load.  The  importance  of  the  slower  cure  at 
a  lower  temperature  is  becoming  recognized,  however, 
and  at  Sonoma  and  Pleasanton  only  one  floor  is  placed 
on  the  kiln  every  24  hours,  and  the  hops  are  cured  at 
the  lower  heat.  Even  then,  the  cured  hops  hardly  com- 
pare with  the  sun  and  air  dried  hops  of  Germany. 

The  usual  temperature  for  a  12-hour  cure  in  this 
country  is  140  degrees  F.,  as  tested  by  a  thermometer 
hanging  in  the  midst  of  the  hop  floor  or  immediately 
over  it  —  not  at  one  side;  formerly  it  was  160  to  180 
degrees.  In  England,  the  temperature  ranges  from 
1  20  to  140.  Where  the  24-hour  cure  is  followed  in 
California,  the  heat  is  kept  at  100  or  no.  Whatever 
the  temperature  decided  upon,  it  should  be  kept 
uniform. 

Should  the  heat  go  up  suddenly,  open  the  doors 
of  the  kiln  and  the  ventilators  at  the  bottom  of  the 
house,  so  as  to  reduce  the  temperature  to  the  desired 
figure.  The  utmost  care  and  constant  attention,  com- 
bined with  good  judgment,  are  needed  to  preserve  the 
temperature,  to  watch  the  hops  and  to  see  that  the  cure 
proceeds  properly. 

The  extreme  heat  absolutely  destroys  a  consider- 
able proportion  of  the  essential  oils  and  other  brewing 
qualities.  Mr.  Meeker  was  perhaps  the  first  American 
writer  to  call  attention  to  this  point,  which  he  did  in 
1883,  and  what  he  then  wrote  in  his  book,  "Hop  Cul- 
ture" (long  since  out  of  print),  is  equally  true  to-day: 

"This  substance  is  most  sensitive  to  injury  by  hi^h 
heat,  and  hundreds  of  tons  of  hops  are  injured  annually, 
and  in  many  cases  their  value  almost  totally  destroyed  by 
the  careless  or  ignorant  manner  in  which  they  are  dried. 
The  writer  knows  by  actual  experience  that  when  hops  are 

14 


210 


THE    HOP. 


'«. 


FIG.   120.      GROUND    PLAN  OF    THE  PLEASANTON    ESTABLISHMENT. 

Left  half  of  plant.  It  is  duplicated  on  the  right  side,  not  shown  hereon.  <7,  Are 
the  double  kilns  shown  in  Figs.  115and  116;  B  are  similar  kilns,  and  another 
pair  of  kilns  and  cooling  houses  are  at  the  right  in  the  duplicate  half  of 
plan  not  shown  above.  B,  Is  the  large  cooler  or  warehouse.  The  tower  for 
water  tax  is  at  the  center«  with  engine,  pump,  etc.,  nearby. 


CUEING,    COOLING  AND  BALING.  211 

subjected  to  a  heat  of  over  160  degrees  Fahren- 
heit, there  is  visible  to  the  naked  eye,  a  change 
in  the  appearance  of  the  lupulin  in  many  samples 
that  can  be  selected  in  a  flooring  of  hops,  though 
not  all  will  show  the  effect  alike. We  are  led  to  be- 
lieve from  this  that  either  the  length  of  time  after  being 
dried  that  the  hops  are  subjected  to  the  current  of  heated 
air,  or  else  some  u:iKnown  condition  of  the  hops  before 
going  on  the  kiln,  governs  this  visible  sensibility  to  heat;  be 
that  as  it  may,  the  fact  stands  out  prominently  so  that  any 
observing  hop  grower  can  demonstrate  it  with  no  expense 
and  but  little  trouble.  As  the  heat  is  increased  the 
change  becomes  more  apparent,  until  at  about  180  degrees 
the  globules  begin  to  disappear  and  run  together,  present- 
ing a  dull  brown  or  red  appearance,  of  all  shades,  according 
to  the  degrees  of  intensity,  and,  as  we  believe,  duration  of 
time  the  hop  has  been  subjected  to  this  high  heat.  If  to  the 
naked  eye  there  is  a  visible  change  in  this  delicate  substance, 
from  the  effects  of  heat,  how  much  more  apparent  it  becomes 
when  subjected  to  the  rigid  scrutiny  of  the  chemist  or  the 
practical  test  of  the  brewer.  The  extract  or  bitter  principle 
of  the  hop,  according  to  Thausing,  assumes  a  reddish-yel- 
low color  when  heated  above  140  degrees  Fahrenheit,  and 

when  cooled  off  can  be  rubbed  into  a  fine  powder (At 

212  degrees  F.  the  hop  bitter  swells  up  under  decomposition, 
and  combustion  takes  place,  with  a  sooty  flame.)  And  yet, 
an  American  authority  recommends  ISO  degrees  F.  as  a 
safe  temperature.  We  know  from  experience  that  it  fair- 
ly cooks  the  hops  and  destroys  much  of  their  value." 

Whitehead,  writing  in  1897,  confirms  his  earlier 
statements  in  1893,  and  in  still  earlier  years,  to  the 
effect  that  "the  merciless  treatment  of  stewing  or  bak- 
ing, to  which  English  hops  are  subjected,  causes  an 
absolute,  visible  loss  of  lupulin,  besides  the  loss  of 
ethereal  essences."  English  hops,  dried  slowly  at  a 
temperature  never  rising  above  TOO  degrees  F.,  were 
found  on  analysis  to  contain  larger  quantities  of  resin, 
oil  and  bitter  principles,  and  at  the  same  time  consider- 
ably less  moisture,  than  Spalt  hops  cured  by  the  same 
process.  Worcester  hops  dried  in  this  gradual  man- 
ner were  found  to  be  uniformly  rich  in  desirable  quali- 
ties and  to  have  far  less  moisture  than  the  best  brands 
from  other  hop-producing  regions  of  the  continent  or 
America  cured  in  the  ordinary  way. 


212 


THE   HOP. 


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CURING,    COOLING   AND   BALING. 


213 


Meeker  pointed  out  that  there  is  also  a  greater 
loss  in  the  non-keeping  qualities  of  high-dried  hops 
than  those  cured  at  a  low  temperature.  It  would  be 
interesting  to  go  into  more  details  on  this  important 
subject  of  the  proper  temperature,  and  to  discuss  its 
scientific  aspects,  but  the  facts  are  as  stated,  and  this  is 
sufficient  for  all  practical  purposes. 

~THE    SULPHURING    OF    HOPS 

This  is  done  in  several  ways.  In  German  curing 
kilns,  also  in  English  oast  houses,  the  sulphur  is  thrown 


D 


FIG.  122.      COOLER— END    ELEVATION. 

See  t  ig.  121  for  explanations. 

directly  upon  the  fire,  usually  after  the  hops  have  be- 
gun to  steam,  another  dose  of  sulphur  being  put  on  the 
fire  when  the  hops  are  turned.  From  10  to  20  pounds 
of  brimstone  are  burned  for  each  floor  on  a  2O-foot 
square  or  i6-ft  circular.  In  New  York,  the  hop 
stoves  have  a  flange  on  which  to  burn  the  sulphur, 
but  as  it  burns  too  rapidly,  the  custom  there  (and  also 
on  the  coast)  is  to  put  the  sulphur  in  a  pan  on  the 


214:       .  THE   HOP. 

ground,  near  the  stove,  and  set  fire  to  it  with  a  few  hot 
coals  or  with  a  red-hot  iron. 

If  the  hops  are  nice  and  free  from  rust,  one  pound 
of  sulphur  is  used  for  a  floor  in  a  24-foot  kiln,  but  when 
very  rusty,  from  two  to  five  pounds  are  used;  others 
use  only  two  to  three  ounces  at  a  time,  and  burn  it 
three  times,  first  when  the  hops  are  warmed  one-third 
the  way  through,  and  last  when  the  heat  has  reached 
the  surface.  On  the  coast,  from  one  to  four  pounds 
of  sulphur  per  100  pounds  of  dried  hops  is  the  range. 
Usually  a  little  sulphur  is  burned,  with  ventilators 
partly  closed,  just  before  the  hops  are  done,  to  finish  off 
the  drying.  The  bleaching  effect  is  not  as  much  at 
this  time  as  when  the  hops  are  more  moist. 

Some  Oregon  growers  find  that  "the  best  way  to 
burn  sulphur  is  in  iron  kettles,  hung  by  a  hook  on 
wires  stretched  across  each  corner  of  the  kiln,  and  high 
enough  to  be  above  the  heads  of  anyone  passing  under- 
neath. These  kettles  can  be  lifted  off  with  a  forked 
stick  and  set  on  the  stove  to  get  hot  when  the  fire  is 
started,  and  again  hung  on  the  wire  as  soon  as  the  sul- 
phur is  burning  well.  The  kettles  can  be  replenished 
by  dropping  sticks  of  sulphur  in  them  while  burning. 
They  should  be  kept  burning  until  the  hops  are 
dry  enough  to  rattle  on  top.  The  amount  thus  used 
will  be  found  to  be  about  one  pound  to  each  20  pounds 
or  25  pounds  of  dried  hops/'  Meeker  burns  the  sul- 
phur outdoors,  but  close  to  the  fan,  by  which  the  fumes 
are  sucked  up  with  the  air  and  forced  in  a  powerful  cur- 
rent through  the  hops  after  the  air  is  heated. 

No  other  chemicals  should  be  used,  as  they  de- 
stroy the  vitality  of  the  dried  hops  and  cause  them  to 
fall  to  pieces  and  look  and  feel  husky,  like  chaff.  There 
are  four  reasons  for  using  sulphur:  i.  The  fumes  de- 
crease the  hygroscopic  power  of  hops;  that  is,  render 
them  less  able  to  retain  the  moisture  that  is  both  within 
and  without  them,  and  thus  the  fumes  help  to  carry  off 


CURING.,    COOLING   AND   BALING. 


215 


the  water  in  the  hops.  This  is  a  vital  point  in  favor  of 
sulphuring.  2,.  The  fumes  bleach  the  hops,  dispelling 
spots,  dark  colors,  etc.,  and  making  the  hops  brilliant, 
glistening  and  attractive  i^»  appearance  and  feeling.  3. 
The  preserving  effect  of  the  fumes  prevents  deleterious 
transformation  of  the  albuminous  and  other  principles 
in  hops,  the  proper  preservation  of  which  is  so  essen- 


If? 


Jr 


FIG.  133.      CIRCULAR  KILN,   MONTGOMERY  COUNTY,  N.  Y. 
See  ground  plans,  Figs.  99  and  100. 

tial.  4.  The  antiseptic  action  of  sulphurous  acid  fumes 
kills  all  fungus  germs,  such  as  mildew,  and  is  a  partial 
safeguard  against  infection  by  mold  and  other  fungus 
growth. 

A  few  years  ago  brewers  claimed  that  sulphuring 
hops  in  drying  added  weight  to  them,  and  they  pur- 


210 


THE   HOP. 


CUBING,    COOLING   AND   BALING.  217 

suaded  many  growers  to  dry  them  without  sulphur, 
but  when  they  got  the  hops  they  were  badly  disap- 
pointed. The  hops  contained  moisture  and  impurities 
and  lost  strength  rapidly,  and  the  next  year  all  the 
brewers'  chemists  advised  the  liberal  use  of  sulphur. 
Much  has  been  said  against  the  sulphuring  of  hops, 
but  the  weight  of  scientific  and  practical  knowledge, 
and  the  experience  of  brewrers,  is  overwhelmingly  in 
favor  of  bleaching  with  sulphur  fumes  when  the  process 
is  properly  conducted.  The  Bavarian  government's 
commission,  under  the  chairmanship  of  the  great  Lie- 
big,  made  a  most  elaborate  investigation  as  long  ago 
as  1855,  and  established  the  great  truth  that  when  this 
process  is  properly  done  nothing  but  good  results.  All 
scientific  and  practical  experience  since  has  abundantly 
confirmed  this  result. 

But  too  strong  a  sulphurous  acid  gas,  made  by 
having  too  much  sulphur  or  by  not  allowing  proper 
ventilation,  is  certainly  bad  for  the  hops.  Too  much 
gas,  like  too  much  heat,  tends  to  give  hops  unfavorable 
characteristics.  Either  or  both  also  remove  more  wa- 
ter than  necessary0  The  grower's  object  should  be  to 
retain  as  much  water  as  can  be  done  without  detriment 
to  the  keeping  qualities  of  the  hops,  thus  having  a 
greater  weight  for  market.  American  and  English 
hops  in  market  usually  contain  fully  7  to  10  per  cent, 
of  water;  they  might  contain  10  to  15  per  cent,  without 
much  danger  of  heating.  Re-sulphured  hops  in  Ger- 
many contain  20  to  22  per  cent,  of  water. 

The  use  of  impure  sulphur  is  even  worse.  Only 
the  very  best  virgin  roll  brimstone  should  be  burned. 
A  few  cents  saved  in  buying  cheap  or  inferior  sulphur 
may  cause  the  loss  of  many  dollars  in  selling  value  of  a 
crop. 

The  prejudice  against  sulphured  hops,  in  the  minds 
of  certain  brewers,  is  due  to  the  fact  that  the  proc- 
ess is  unmercifully  abused  by  irresponsible  persons. 


218 


THE   HOP. 


Old  hops,  that  have  become  moldy  or  discolored,  and 
new  hops  of  inferior  quality,  are  often  given  a  beauti- 
ful appearance  by  re-bleaching,  which  makes  it  difficult 
to  judge  their  merits.  This  trick  is  much  resorted  to  in 
the  mixing  of  poor  hops  and  inferior  growths  with 
those  of  better  qualities,  so  as  to  palm  off  the  mixture 
as  composed  wholly  of  the  latter.  This  is  practiced  to 
such  an  extent  by  German  dealers  that  England  buys 
German  hops  only  when  forced  to  do  so. 


V1WJH 

*££•'& 

FIG.  125.     A  GLIMPSE    OF  KENTISH  OAST  HOUSES. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

GRADING   AND    MARKETING    HOPS 

IVE  different  grades  are  rec- 
ognized in  all  hop  markets 
of  this  country  and  England, 
both  by  the  buyers  and 
brewers,  and  they  are  classi- 
fied as  follows:  Fancy, 
choice,  prime,  medium,  poor. 
It  takes  considerable  practi- 
cal experience  to  be  able  to 
determine  the  <  quality  of  a 
hop  and  place  it  in  its  proper 

grade.  There  is  no  means  of  testing",  and  one  is 
compelled  to  use  his  judgment,  as  well  as  the 
senses  of  seeing,  smelling  and  feeling;  as  the  ap- 
pearance, flavor  and  feel  of  a"  hop  are  all  essen- 
tial features  to  determine  its  brewing  qualities.  We 
have  been  unable  to  'md  a  single  buyer  of  hops  in  either 
America,  England  or  Europe,  who  employs  chemi- 
cal analysis  as  a  basis  for  judging  the  quality  or  value 
of  hops.  In  fact,  it  is  generally  recognized  that  the  cor- 
rect characteristics  of  hops  "cannot "be  quantitatively 
measured,  but  are  a  matter  of  judgment.  Now,  because 
judgment  of  quality  may  differ  so  much,  and  because 
such  differences  do  prevail,  we  have  taken  great  pains 
to  get  the  views  of  leading  growers,  dealers,  mer- 
chants and  brewers  in  the  United  States,  Canada,  Eng- 
land and  Europe  upon  this  delicate  subject.  The  con- 
census of  opinion  seems  to  agree  in  a  general  way  upon 
the  following  as  a  fair  statement  o!  principles, 


220  THE 

Hops  in  the  trade  are  described  and  designated  in 
three  principal  terms: 

1.  By  their  relative  quality  for  a  given  country  or 
section. 

2.  By  the  year  of  their  production. 

3.  By  the  country  or  section  where  grown. 
These    three    terms   are    connected     as    follows: 

"Choice  1898  Pacifies,"  representing  as  just  stated, 
quality,  year  and  locality.  Under  such  designations  a 
large  proportion  of  the  world's  hop  crop  is  bought  and 
sold  for  immediate  or  future  delivery,  and  of  hops 
already  grown  and  hops  to  be  grown  during  the  follow- 
ing year  or  term  of  years. 

The  quality  is  usually  described  in  five  so-called 
grades,  namely:  "Fancy,"  "Choice,"  "Prime,"  "Medi- 
um," and  "Common."  "Fancy"  represents  the  very 
finest  quality,  or  best  selections  from  "Choice." 
"Choice"  represents  the  first  average  quality,  "Prime" 
the  next  lower  average,  then  "Medium"  and  finally 
"Common,"  which  is  the  lowest  average  quality. 

All  hops  may  be  designated  in  the  above  grades, 
excepting  such  hops  as  are  heated  or  are  liable  to  heat, 
or  rot,  on  account  of  insufficient  drying.  This  class  of 
hops  is  called  unmerchantable  and  is  handled  on  its 
merits — or  rather  its  demerits — and  is  never  bought 
or  sold  on  grad£. 

The  year  of  production  is  described  by  using  either 
the  year  in  figures,  or  using  "new  crop,"  or  "old  crop," 
or  "old  olds,"  as  the  case  may  be. 

The  country  or  section  is  designated  as,  "Ameri- 
can," "English,"  "Germans,"  "Belgiums,"  etc.,  or  by 
any  of  their  respective  subdivisions.  These  subdivi- 
sions may  be  carried  down  as  far  as  one  pleases,  say  to 
the  state,  county,  town  or  other  described  district.  As 
illustrating  this  it  may  be  said  that  a  hop  grown  near 
Healdsburg,  California,  would  be  known  in  the  hop 
trade  under  any  of  the  following  localities,  namely: 


GRADING   AND   MARKETING   HOPS. 


221 


222  THE  HOP. 

"American,"  "Pacific  Coast,"- "California,"  "Russian 
River,''  "Sonoma,"  or  a  Healdsburg  hop,  each  suc- 
cessive title  serving  to  narrow  down  the  location  where 
the  hop  is  produced.  Likewise  in  the  London  market 
the  terms  "English,"  "Kent,"  "Weald  of  Kent,"  and 
even  the  name  of  the  particular  plantation  are  used.  In 
Germany  such  classification  is  carried  to  an  almost  ab- 
surd subdivision. 

The  placing  of  a  given  hop  in  its  grade  is  large- 
ly a  matter  of  the  likes  and  dislikes  of  the  expert,  and 
the  experts  themselves  rarely  agree  among  themselves 
as  to  the  proper  grading  of  a  line  of  hop  samples.  With 
the  brewers  the  difference  of  opinion  as  to  the  grades 
is  even  greater  than  it  is  with  the  hop  dealers  or  ex- 
perts. Again,  in  naming  a  grade  for  a  hop,  even  an 
expert  is  often  in  doubt  whether  to  place  it  in  one  grade 
or  in  another;  thus,  if  a  sample  looks  a  little  too  good 
for  a  given  grade  and  not  quite  good  enough  for  the 
grade  next  higher,  an  intermediate  grade  is  often  used, 
which  is  expressed  by  connecting  these  two  grades  with 
the  word  "to."  Thus:  A  hop  that  one  considers  bet- 
ter than  a  prime  and  not  quite  equal  to  choice,  would 
be  expressed  as  "prime  to  choice,"  though  these  split 
grades  are  not  so  frequently  employed  as  the  general 
terms,  fancy,  choice,  prime,  medium,  common.  Split 
grades  or  gradations  or  peculiarities  of  quality  are 
sometimes  spoken  of  as  "strictly  fancy,"  "shipping 
grade,"  "good  brewing  quality,"  "trash,"  and  perhaps 
a  hundred  other  minor  terms  are  sometimes  used,  tak- 
ing the  hop  world  as  a  whole,  but  fancy,  choice,  prime, 
medium,  common,  are  the  accepted  standards. 

There  are  some  features  of  a  hop  that  are  liked 
or  disliked  by  everyone,  though  in  many  other  partic- 
ulars what  one  purchaser  prefers,  another  condemns. 
Brightness  in  characteristic  color,  strong,  healthy  fla- 
vor, freedom  from  disease  or  vermin  damage,  proper 
maturity,  clean  picking,  flakiness,  softness  in  texture, 


GRADING  AND   MARKETING  HOPS.  223 

abundance  of  lupulin,  are  all  conditions  that  are  ap- 
preciated by  everyone.  Yet  as  to  color,  that  is,  wheth- 
er green,  yellow  or  red;  or  in  flavor,  whether  from  Eng- 
lish, German  or  other  varieties;  or  as  to  largeness  or 
smallness  of  the  berries,  these  are  conditions  the  like 
or  dislike  of  which  is  dependent  entirely  upon  one's 
own  fancies.  Mold,  sour  or  burnt  smell,  dirty  picking, 


FIG.    127.      INTERIOR  OF   HOP  KILN. 

Showing  slat  floor,  with  carpet  rolled  to  end.    Also  shows  upward  sliding  door 
(open)  through  which  the  dried  hops  are  pushed  into  cars,  shown  in  tig.  112. 

broken  and  powdered  buds,  lack  of  lupulin,  no  flavor 
and  dullness  of  color  are  considered  defects  by  every- 
one. Even  as  to  color,  there  can  manifestly  be  no  ar- 
bitrary standard.  Hops  grown  in  a  cloudy  season  in 
New  York  state,  even  with  the  most  perfect  curing, 
may  come  out  a  sort  of  slate  color,  instead  of  the  usual 
bright  golden  yellow  or  greenish  yellow  characteristic 


224  THE   HOP. 

of  state  hops  in  a  favorable  season;  yet  the  hops  of  the 
darker  hue  may  be  so  attractive  in  other  respects  as  to 
command  top  prices.  Again,  hops  of  a  greenish  cast 
or  that  are  "of  the  green  order,"  as  Wahlberg  and  the 
hop  men  say,  may  be  choice  in  every  particular  and  just 
the  kind  that  takes  best  with  certain  brewers.  Indeed, 
color  in  hops,  as  in  art,  seems  to  be  largely  a  matter 
of  taste  and  habit,  some  people  wanting  one  shade, 
some  another. 

The  chief  contention,  is  as  to  what  constitutes  a 
choice  hop.  No  doubt  this  is;  accounted  for  to  a  large 
extent  by  the  failure  to  distinguish  between  the  use  of 
the  word  as  an  adjective  or  as  a  noun.  For  example, 
in  contracting  for  a  growing  crop,  it  is  evident  that  the 
term  is  used  as  a  noun,  and  in  this  sense  it  would  sig- 
nify a  hop  which  is  to  be  chosen  or  selected. 
In  this  case  the  hops  might  prove  to  be  choice 
hops  of  a  certain  growth  and  yet  not  possess  that  per- 
fection of  color,  freedom  from  mold  or  vermin  dam- 
age or  impurities,  and  that  perfect  cure  which  may  be 
implied  by  the  adjective  "choice"  or  "fancy."  To  some 
this  distinction  may  appear  subtle,  but  an  illustration 
will  prove  that  it  may  be  vital.* 

In  the  spring  of  1897,  an  Oregon  hop  grower  sold 
by  contract  to  a  merchant  his  growing  crop  of  hops, 
which  he  guaranteed  to  be  choice.  Unfortunately  the 
1897  hop  crop  of  Oregon  was  blighted  and  every  sam- 
ple showed  traces  of  the  blight,  or  "mold,"  as  it  is  term- 
ed in  this  country.  However,  the  particular  lot  of  hops 
in  question  were  as  good  as  any  that  were  grown  in 
Oregon  that  season,  and  were  manifestly  therefore 
such  hops  as  would  have  been  selected  or  chosen  by  an 


*For  this  illustration  we  are  indebted  to  Mr.  Hugh  F.  Fox,  a  well- 
known  American  commission  merchant  in  hops,  formerly  secretary  of 
the  hop  trade  committee  of  the  New  York  produce  exchange,  and  rep- 
resentative of  the  great,  German  house  or  Rothbarth  &  Sons.  Being 
entirely  free  from  interests  connected  with  hop  culture,  this  opinion 
may  well  be  taken  as  unbiased. 


GRADING   AND   MARKETING   HOPS.  225 

expert  who  wanted  the  first  quality  of  1897  Oregon 
hops.  Therefore  they  were  choice  hops,  using  the 
word  choice  as  a  noun,  and  constituted  a  good  delivery 
on  the  part  of  the  grower. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  merchant  made  a  sale  of 
choice  Pacific  coast  hops  to  a  brewer,  without  specify- 
ing any  particular  lot  of  hops,  and  inasmuch  as  the 
hops  which  he  obtained  from  the  farmer  were  speckled 
by  blight,  they  were  not  of  such  a  character  as  could 
be  correctly  designated  by  the  use  of  the  adjective 
choice,  and  hence  he  was  unable  to  deliver  them  on  that 
particular  contract. 

Summing  up  the  whole  matter,  it  is  safe  to  con- 
clude thus:  To  arrive  at  the  grade  of  a  given  hop,  it  is 
best  to  say  that  that  hop  which  in  an  open  market 
should  fetch  the  very  highest  price,  would  grade 
"fancy,"  while  those  fetching  the  lowest  average  price 
would  grade  "common,''  and  the  difference  between 
the  highest  price  and  the  lowest  price  would  be  equally 
divided  to  mark  the  grades  of  choice,  prime  and 
medium.  There  is  no  other  feasible  way  of  describing 
or  ascertaining  the  difference  in  market  value  between 
hops  of  different  grades,  as  the  true  and  only  test  (from 
the  standpoint  of  grower  and  dealer)  is  the  market 
value,  which  is  based  upon  the  consideration  of  all  the 
desirable  and  undesirable  features  of  a  given  hop. 

SAMPLING    HOPS    PREPARATORY    TO    SELLING 

While  the  wholesale  sampling  of  hops  by  dealers 
has  become  a  great  nuisance  to  hop  growers,  they  do 
not  know  just  how  or  where  to  draw  the  line,  as  by 
refusing  a  dealer  samples,  they  may  miss  the  sale  of 
their  crop  at  a  good  figure.  Therefore,  they  are  en- 
tirely at  the  mercy  of  all  the  sample  fiends  who  swarm 
over  the  country  about  the  end  of  hop  harvest,  cutting 
and  mutilating  the  growers'  nicely  sewed  bales  and 
scattering  hops  about.  In  giving  a  sample  where  the 
15 


326 


THE  HOP. 


& 

03 


ei 


I 


GRADING   AND:  MARKETING   HOPS.  227 


grower  expects  to  make  a  sale,  it  is  best  to  require  the 
one  who  takes  the  sample  to  draw  two  from  the  same 
bale,  the  grower  keeping  one  for  the  purpose  of 
reference. 

In  case  the  dealer  buys  the  hops  and  grades  them 
from  the  sample  in  his  possession,  the  grower  can  refer 
to  his  sample  if  there  is  any  dispute.  Hops  in  the  bale 
change  in  storage,  and  a  sample  taken  from  a  bale  will 
sometimes  look  very  different  when  compared  with  the 
hops  in  the  bale  some  months  later.  In  delivering, 
the  grower  should  see  that  the  buyer  examines  and 
grades  all  the  bales  purchased  before  marking  any  of 
them.  This  keeps  the  bales  clean  and  free  from  marks, 
provided-  the  parties  cannot  agree  upon  the  proper 
grading  of  the  crop,  and  does  away  with  disputes  that 
may  result  in  lawsuits. 

It  should  be  universally  recognized  that  sampling 
is  "a  delicate  operation,  requiring  great  care  and 
nicety."  A  clumsy  sampler  will  seriously  injure  the 
appearance  of  a4ot:  a  clever  man  will  give  a  nice  "face" 
to  the  sample  and  leave  the  bale  in  nice  shape.  White- 
head  describes  a  proper  sample  as  follows: 

"In  a  perfect  sample  the  cones,  as  seen  on  the  face, 
should  be  whole,  with  the  strings  or  stalks  completely 
free  from  moisture,  and  the  lupulin  or  'gold  dust' 
adhering  to  the  bracts.  A  very  few  leaves  should  be 
seen,  and  the  cones  should  be  single  and  not  in 
bunches,  and  of  a  pale-gold  color.  An  aromatic  odor- 
should  pervade  it,  without  the  slightest  trace  of  the 
sweet,  'gingerbready'  smell,  like  heated  clover  hay,  in- 
dicative of  too  much  fire.  Upon  rubbing  down  some  of 
the  sample  in  the  hand,  there  should  be  no  fibrous  resi- 
due, but  the  whole  should  chaff  finely,  leaving  a  yellow- 
ish, resinous  deposit  on  the  fingers.  A  well-managed 
and  properly  desiccated  sample  is  most  elastic,  and  can 
be  compressed  by  the  hand  into  a  small  compass,  re- 
bounding to  its  original  size  when  the  compression  is 


22S  THE   HOP. 

removed.     This  is  a  valuable  indication  of  judicious 
drying." 

In    a    previous    chapter    we    cautioned   growers 
against  mixing  poor  hops,  if  they  have  any,  with  their 
better  ones.     If  a  grower  has  more  than  one  grade 
he  should  keep  them  in  separate  bins  in  the  cooling 
room,  and  likewise  bale  them  separately,  as  well  as 
keep  them  separate  afterwards,  so  that  when  a  buyer 
samples  them    he  will    find  the  different  qualities  and 
offer  on  them  accordingly.     To  mix  a  poor  grade  with 
a  better  quality  will  usually  reduce  the  selling  price  of 
the  lot  to  the  figure  at  which  the  poorer  grade  alone 
would  sell.     Hence,  keep  the  moldy,  light-colored  or 
otherwise    inferior   quality    separate    from    the    better 
grades.     But  with  a  nice  crop  of  quite  uniform  appear- 
ance, it  is  generally  desirable  to  carefully  mix  the  entire 
growth  so  thoroughly  that  every  bale  will  be  of  the 
same  uniform  grade  and  quality.     It  is  often  a  ques- 
tion, also,  whether  it  is  not  best  to  mix  two  or  more 
varieties  (we  do  not  here  mean  grades  of  quality),  for 
very  often  a  careful  mixture  of  hops  from  red  vines 
with  "clusters"  is  a  decided  benefit  in  flavor,  as  well  as 
in    appearance    and    attractiveness    to    the    dealer    or 
brewer.     So,  too,  of  the  Humphreys,  that  are  usually 
very  bright,  but  which  if  mixed  with  the  main  crop 
help  the  average  color  of  the  whole  without  losing  any 
market  value  on  the  Humphreys. 

All  hops  are  sold  by  sample  or  grade  and  subject 
to  inspection,  and  it  is  customary  for  the  buyer  to  take 
all  the  hops  that  are  equal  to  or  better  than  the  sample 
or  grade;  while,  at  the  same  time,  he  has  the  right  to 
reject  any  and  all  bales  that  do  not  come  up  to  the  sell- 
ing sample  or  grade.  There  is  no  averaging  of  hops, 
and  the  buyer  can  be  compelled  to  take  only 
those  hops  that  run  equal  to  sample,  and  even 
if  he  secures  some  that  are  better,  he  cannot  be 
compelled  to  take  those  that  are  worse.  It  can 


GRADING    AND   MARKETING    HOPS.  229 

be  readily  seen  that  if  a  buyer  is  given  a  sample  of 
the  best  portion  of  a  crop,  trouble  will  result  when  it 
comes  to  inspection.  On  the  other  hand,  should  the 
grower  submit  his  worst  sample,  he  will  not  receive 
what  he  is  justly  entitled  to  for  his  entire  crop,  as  no 
buyer  will  object  to  hops  that  are  better  than  the  pur- 
chased sample. 

Therefore,~if  a  grower  will  keep  his  different  qual- 
ities separate  and  submit  samples  of  each  quality  to  the 
buyer,  and  sell  accordingly,  there  will  be  no  misrepre- 
sentation and  no  chance  for  dispute.  The  ordinary 
grower  will  usually  do  well  to  have  as  few  grades  as 
possible,  at  least  two — the  main  crop  and  late  picked. 

It  is  customary  when  a  trade  is  made  between 
buyer  and  seller,  for  the  former  to  take  his  purchasing 
sample  or  samples  and  lay  on  a  board  or  table  beside  the 
lot  he  has  bought.  He  then  proceeds  to  examine  each 
bale  with  a  tryer,  which  is  an  instrument  about  16 
inches  long  and  three-»eighths  of  an  inch  in  diameter, 
with  a  crosspiece  at  one  end,  about  four  inches  long,  for 
a  handle.  The  other  end  comes  to  a  sharp  point  and 
has  a  hook  similar  to  a  fishing  hook.  This  tryer  is 
thrust  into  the  bale,  the  cloth  of  which  has  been  cut  to 
a  length  of  about  two  inches,  and  the  tryer  is  then  given 
half  a  twist  and  withdrawn.  The  hook  brings  out  a 
good-sized  handful  of  hops,  which  the  buyer  proceeds 
to  examine  and  compare  with  the  purchase  sample. 
Each  handful  of  hops  is  laid  on  a  board  or  table  and 
compared.  By  this  means  one  can  get  a  correct  idea  of 
the  contents  of  each  bale,  especially  to  determine  its 
condition  as  to  curing.  It  is  sometimes  necessary 
to  examine  a  bale  in  more  than  one  place,  to  look  out 
for  false  packing,  of  which  we  spoke  in  a  previous 
chapter. 

Hops  that  will  crumble  when  compressed  in  the 
hand  are  over-dried  arid  probably  high-dried.  Their 
brittleness  indicates  that  the  moisture,  as  well  as  the 


230  THE   HOP. 

essential  oil,  has  been  dried  out  of  them.  On  the  other 
hand,  a  hop  that  is  not  dried  enough,  or  what  is  termed 
in  the  trade  "a  slack-dried  hop,"  will  be  clammy  when 
compressed,  and  will  not  only  feel  moist,  but  will  stick 
together  in  a  ball  or  lump.  The  sample  of  a  properly 
cured  hop  will  be  springy  and  full  of  life,  and  when  a 
portion  is  taken  in  the  hand  and  compressed,  it  will  be 
found  to  be  very  soft  and  silky,  and,  like  a  silk  handker- 
chief, will  rebound  when  the  pressure  is  released. 
When  rubbed  in  the  hand,  it  will  emit  a  pungent,  aro- 
matic odor.  Springiness  in  the  sample  is  necessary, 
for  it  indicates  just  the  right  condition.  A  bale  a  little 
boardy  may  keep  till  warm  July  or  August  weather, 
and  then  heat. 

An  expert  can  get  a  very  good  idea  of  the  quality 
of  a  hop  by  the  mere  feeling  of  it,  and  when  upon  com- 
pressing a  handful  from  a  sample  he  finds  that  it  is  elas- 
tic and  springy  and  rebounds  without  crumbling,  it  is 
one  of  the  numerous  indications  to  him  that  the  hop 
has  been  well  handled  in  the  curing  and  baling.  On 
the  other  hand,  if  it  feels  quite  moist  and  clammy,  it  is 
an  indication  of  slackness,  and  if  there  is  considerable 
moisture,  he  will  know  that  the  hops  will  soon  heat. 
Everything  else  being  the  same,  the  springy  lot  will 
have  a  fine  flavor  and  the  boardy  lot  lack  in  aroma. 

The  flavor  of  a  hop  is  another  important  feature 
in  determining  its  value  and  quality.  A  flavor  that 
savors  of  burned  bread,  or,  as  Whitehead  terms  it,  "gin- 
gerbready,"  is  an  indication  of  too  much  heat  or  fire, 
while  a  sour  or  musty  flavor  is  an  indication  of  a  slack- 
ness, a  defect  that  sometimes  proves  quite  costly,  as  it 
quite  often  happens  that  slack  hops  commence  to  heat 
and  tuin  black  after  they  have  been  put  in  the  cars, 
although  they  may  have  stayed  in  the  warehouse  for 
some  time  without  heating.  A  slack  hop  will  not  stand 
shipment  for  any  distance,  especially  for  export.  For 
that  reason  it  is  essential  that  the  hops  be  properly 


GKADIKG   AKD   MARKETING    HOPS. 


FIG.    129.      WASHINGTON  HOP  KILNS  IN  KING   COUNTY,  NEAJEl 
AUBURN. 


232  THE   HOP. 

cured,  while  at  the  same  time,  they  should  not  be  dried 
too  much,  as  that  destroys  the  active  brewing 
principles. 

MARKETING    THE    CROP 

Even  when  the  hop  grower's  crop  is  safely  baled, 
in  accordance  with  the  most  rigid  rules  as  to  quality, 
his  troubles  are  by  no  means  ended.  When  to  sell  is 
the  next  problem,  to  which  no  definite  answer  can  be 
given. 

The  course  of  prices  in  the  Nuremberg  hop  mar- 
ket for  upward  of  fifty  years,  confirmed  by  the  range 
of  prices  at  New  York  city,  warrants  the  conclusion 
that,  as  a  general  thing,  prices  average  somewhat 
higher  during  September,  October  and  November  than 
during  the  next  quarter,  while  the  lowest  prices  usually 
occur  in  spring  and  summer.  Yet,  there  are  excep- 
tions to  this  rule.  In  the  fall  of  '97  hops  opened  at  low 
prices,  and  by  midwinter  had  quite  doubled  in  price. 
The  extrerhe  fluctuations'  in  prices  in  different  years, 
together  with  the  rapid  and  violent  changes  from 
month  to  month,  are  shown  by  the  tables  of 
monthly  quotations  in  the  appendix.  These  tables  will 
amply  lepay  the  most  careful  study.  The  grower  who 
will  not  study  them  for  himself  would  not  be  benefited 
by  our  analysis  of  the  price  tables. 

Certain  it  is,  that  the  export  demand  has  an  impor- 
tant influence  on  values.  If  the  foreign  market  is  short 
of  old  hops,  and  the  new  crop  abroad  is  inferior,  either 
in  quantity  or  quality,  the  active  export  demand  is  a 
brilliant  factor  in  the  domestic  market.  The  great  bulk 
of  American  exports  is  from  New  York,  and  the  ex- 
port movement  from  that  port  is  therefore  of  vital  and 
constant  interest.  The  appendix  tables  throw  a  flood  of 
light  on  the  movement  and  its  relation  to  prices.  Com- 
paring these  data  for  the  five  years  1889- '93  inclusive, 
with  the  three  years  more  recently,  '94-6  inclusive,  an 
interesting  exhibit  is  obtained: 


GRADING   AND   MARKETING    HOPS. 


233 


HOP  EXPORTS  IN  BALES  FROM  NEW  YORK  CITY,  AND  PRICES  (ill  Cents 
per  pound.) 


Totals  for 

Five  years,  1889-'93. 

Thi  3e  years,  1894-'96. 

Ex- 
ports. 

%-of 

total. 

Av.  price. 
Cents. 

Ex- 
ports. 

%of 
total. 

Av.  price. 
Cents. 

Sept.  Oct.  Nov. 
Dec.  Jan.  Feb. 
M?ir.  Apr.  May 
Jim.  July,  Aii£. 

101,838 
96,595 
22,742 

27,895 

41 
39 
9 
11 

24.9 
24.6 
23.6 
22.1 

67,996 
100,988 
33.704 
9,455 

32 

48 
16 
4 

10.7 
11.4 
9.3 
7.5 

The  receipts  of  domestic  hops  at  New  York  city 
by  rail  are  reported  in  American  Agriculturist  from 
week  to  week,  together  with  the  exports.  If  it  appears 
that  the  exports  are  taking  a  large  proportion  of  the 
receipts,  this  is  usually  a  healthy  sign  for  the 
immediate  future  of  values.  The  moment  ship- 
ments abroad  fall  off  and  domestic  supplies  accumu- 
late at  New  York,  dealers  make  this  a  pretext  for  ham- 
mering down  prices.  The  appendix  exhibit  of  receipts 
st  New  York  city  should  be  carefully  studied,  in  rela- 
tion to  both  the  total  crop  at  home  and  abroad,  and 
our  exports  and  imports.  Then,  by  comparing  the 
weekly  and  monthly  statistics  as  the  season  advances, 
one  may  form  some  judgment  of  the  movement  of 
the  crop. 

The  uncertainty  as  to  prices  makes  hops  a  very 
fascinating  crop  to  speculate  in,  and  growers  as  well  as 
dealers  often  cannot  resist  the  temptation  to  speculate 
in  their  community.  When  prices  advance,  it  is  impos- 
sible to  foretell  how  high  they  will  go,  and  growers 
feel  justified  in  holding,  but  when  prices  begin  to  de- 
cline, no  one  is  anxious  to  buy,  as  there  is  no  telling 
how  low  they  will  go.  Therefore,  the  hop  grower  fre- 
quently sells  too  soon  or  holds  on  too  long,  and  rarely 
indeed  does  he  realize  the  top  market  price. 

The  author  has  made  a  close  study  of  this  matter 
for  some  years,  and  has  collected  the  actual  experience 
in  selling  of  about  TOO  planters,  including  men  of  all 
shades  of  ability  in  raising  and  selling  hops.  It  appears 
that  those  who  have  sold  early  for  cash  at  the  market 


THE    HOP. 


price,  say  between  October  I  and  December  i,  have 
averaged  better  returns  than  their  speculating  neigh- 
bors. The  former  are  still  raising  hops  and  are  toler- 
ably satisfied  with  the  business;  the  latter  have  quit  in 
disgust,  many  of  them,  if  they  have  not  failed  outright. 
Growers  who  make  every  effort  to  put  up  a  nice  crop  in 
good  shape  are  mostly  disposed  to  sell  within  three  or 
four  months  of  harvest  at  the  going  price.  Their  busi- 
ness is  to  make  a  nice  hop;  they  are  willing  to  let  the 
men  do  the  speculating  whose  business  it  is  to 
speculate. 

Aside  from  the  matter  of  when  to  sell,  about  which 
opinions  must  always  differ,  there  is  an  opportunity  for 
growers  to  co-operate  and  greatly  improve  the  method 
of  selling.  Yet,  right  here  the  division  of  sentiment 
as  to  the  time  of  selling  enters  as  a  serious  obstacle. 
The  hop,  however,  is  a  commodity  that  can  be  readily 
sold  by  sample.  If  now  the  growers  in  each  state  or 
each  section  would  unite  in  a  hop  exchange,  through 
which  their  samples  might  be  properly  classified  and 
guaranteed,  this  would  be  a  great  step  in  advance. 
These  samples  could  be  brought  together  at  the  office 
or  headquarters  of  the  exchange,  and  would  thus 
attract  the  largest  number  of  buyers.  The  sales  could 
be  made  either  privately  or  by  the  auction  system,  at 
stated  hours  or  dates.  By  this  method,  the  growers 
would  bring  together  the  largest  number  of  buyers, 
thus  creating  a  competition  that  would  result  in  the 
best  possible  prices.  This  is  quite  different  from  the 
present  method,  by  which  the  average  grower  too  often 
feels  obliged  to  accept  whatever  offer  is  made  by  the 
buyer  who  happens  to  come  along  when  the  producer 
feels  like  selling. 

Apart  from  the  division  of  sentiment  over  the 
time  at  which  to  sell,  there  should  be  no  great  obstacle 
against  forming  and  operating  such  hop  growers'  ex- 
changes. With  no  crop  can  this  method  of  co-opera- 


GKADING   AND   MARKETING   HOPS.  235 

live  selling  be  handled  to  better  advantage.  The 
grower  can  fix  his  own  price,  and  instruct  the  exchange 
not  to  let  his  crop  go  for  less,  and  can  modify  his  views 
either  way  from  day  to  day  as  he  deems  fit.  The  ex- 
change wTould  be  the  headquarters  for  all  information 
about  crops  and  markets.  Since  the  exchange  would 
have  to  guarantee  that  the  quality  of  the  bale  would  be 
up  to  sample,  it  would  have  to  enforce  the  most  care- 
ful packing  and  a  rigid  inspection.  Yet,  this  is  no 
more  than  the  buyer  now  expects,  and  by  the  exchange 
system  the  grower  would  suffer  far  less  from  these 
exactions  than  at  present.  Each  crop  would  be  sold 
on  its  merits,  or,  if  desired,  the  exchange  could  arrange 
for  the  mixing  of  crops  so  as  to  furnish  large  lots  of 
an  even  quality.  With  good  business  management 
and  proper  support  on  the  part  of  hop  growers,  such 
an  exchange  could  not  fail  to  be  of  great  value  to  both 
buyers  and  dealers.  While  new  to  the  hop  trade,  it  is 
not  a  new  method  of  selling  produce,  but  has  been  long 
used  and  not  found  wanting.  We  believe  it  is  only 
a  question  of  time  before  the  exigencies  of  the  business 
and  the  good  sense  of  hop  planters  will  lead  them  to 
unite  in  efforts  of  this  kind. 

Permanent  improvement  in  prices,  however,  will 
depend  more  on  limiting  the  production  than  through 
any  other  agency.  How  to  accomplish  this  is  an  ex- 
tremely difficult  problem.  Since  spraying  for  lice  and 
mold  has  come  into  vogue,  it  is  not  likely  that  such 
absolute  failures  will  again  occur  as  have  occasionally 
characterized  the  past.  Without  concert  of  action, 
every  naturally  short  crop,  with  its  consequent  high 
prices,  will  be  followed  by  an  increased  area  throughout 
the  hop-growing  world,  to  be  followed  by  another 
period  of  low  prices.  The  hop  planter  is  therefore  the 
architect  of  his  own  fortunes  and  can  reckon  on  good 
prices  only  when  the  acreage  is  kept  down  to  a 
minimum. 


236 


THE   HOP. 


But  the  trouble  is.  that  the  average  planter  expects 
the  other  fellow  will  go  out  of  the  business  and  that, 
therefore,  he  can  extend  his  own  acreage.  Co-operation 
to  reduce  the  acreage  has  failed  heretofore,  and  the  indi- 
vidual action  just  noted  too  often  leads  to  fresh  over- 
production. The  improved  methods  of  holding  hops 


FIG.  130   .      HOP  KILNS,   PLEASANTON. 

in  cold  storage  enable  brewers  to  lay  in  large  stocks 
during  seasons  of  plenty  and  low  prices,  and  this  mili- 
tates against  improvement  in  prices  more  than  was  for- 
merly the  case.  We  find  this  quite  as  true  in  Europe 
and  in  England  as  in  the  United  States,  except  that 
in  those  countries  the  area  does  not  expand  as  rapidly 


GRADING   AND    MARKETING    HOPS.  237 

as  in  the  United  States,  particularly  on  the  Pacific 
coast,  where  a  good  crop  is  obtained  the  first  year  from 
planting. 

STORING    HOPS     FOR    LONG    KEEPING 

Several  methods  have  been  recommended  and 
used  to  protect  hops  as  much  as  possible  against  the 
action  of  atmospheric  air.  Pressing  them  meets 
with  steadily  increasing  favor  in  England,  and  is  gen- 
erally used  in  America,  instead  of  treading  them  into 
bags,  as  is  customary  in  Germany.  This  pressing  is 
of  decided  advantage,  but  the  hops  must  be  well  dried 
before  they  are  pressed.  It  has  been  recommended  to 
press  the  hops  into  pitched  barrels  instead  of  bales,  and 
to  store  them  in  ice  cellars  (Scharr).  Bing,  of  Nurem- 
berg, presses  them  into  square  bales  by  hydraulic 
presses;  the  bales  are  then  put  into  well-soldered  tin 
boxes,  and  then  are  placed  in  well-pitched  wooden 
boxes.  It  has  been  further  proposed  to  press  the  hops 
into  tin  boxes,  to  close  them  hermetically,  and  to  store 
them  in  a  cold  cellar  (Neubecker). 

According  to  Brainard's  method  of  preserving 
them,  they  are  well  dried  and  packed  in  bags,  and 
brought  into  a  store  room,  which  can  be  kept  dark,  dry 
and  cool,  and  can  be  hermetically  closed.  For  this  pur- 
pose, the  store  room  has  double  walls,  and  is  provided 
with  ice  on  the  upper  floor,  in  the  same  manner  as 
Brainard's  store  cellar  and  fermenting  cellar.  The  effi- 
cacy of  cold  storage  is  seriously  questioned,  however. 
The  store  room  should  be  closed  as  much  as  ^possible 
against  the  air,  and  should  be  dry  and  cool.  It  should 
not  be  located  directly  under  the  roof,  where  damp  air 
can  easily  enter,  and  a  simple  partition  of  boards  is 
not  sufficient  for  this  purpose.  The  best  plan  is  to  build 
the  store  room  with  bricks  or  double-frame  sides,  be- 
tween which  is  placed  an  isolating  layer. 

East  Kent  hops,  when  four  months  old,  contained 


THE   HOP. 


GRADING   AND   MARKETING   HOPS.  239 

12.3  per  cent,  of  hard  resins  and  29  per  cent,  of  soft, 
but  after  having  been  stored. a  year  in  a  brewery  under 
ordinary  conditions,  the  soft  resins  had  fallen  to  8.3 
per  cent,  and  the  hard  rose  to  7.3  per  cent.  The  chem- 
ist's theory  that  the  brewing  value  of  hops  is  gauged 
only  by  the  soft  resins,  which  is  apparently  borne  out  by 
practical  experience  in  brewing,  indicates  a  loss  of  one- 
third  in  the  actual  brewing  strength  of  these  hops  dur- 
ing the  year.  If  as  new  hops  they  were  worth  24  cents 
per  pound,  then,  as  old  hops,  16  cents  would  be  a  full 
price  for  them.  This  depreciation  explains  the  im- 
portance of  proper  care  of  old  hops.  Hermetically 
sealed  up  in  galvanized  iron  cases,  hops  have  been  kept 
for  two  years  or  more  without  appreciable  loss  in 
brewing  power. 

EXTRACTING    THE    LUPULIN 

And  bottling  it  has  long  been  successfully  practiced. 
One  concern  in  central  New  York  has  made  the  fifth 
addition  to  its  hop  extract  works,  and  has  worked  up 
more  than  15,000,000  pounds  of  hops  since  its  incep- 
tion 25  years  ago. 

The  process  of  preserving  consists  simply  in  re- 
moving the  sacking  from  the  bales,  breaking  the  hops 
apart,  putting  them  into  large  tanks,  closing  up  the 
tanks,  pumping  in  an  easily  evaporated  solvent,  which 
makes  a  solution  of  the  lupulin,  drawing  off  this  solu- 
tion into  evaporators,  where  the  solvent  is  evaporated 
and  the  pure  extract  of  the  hops  left  behind  in  the 
evaporator,  whence  it  is  drawn  off  and  soldered  up  in 
cans,  thus  made  air-tight,  so  that  the  extract  will  keep 
fresh  for  a  good  many  years.  This  operation,  waste, 
car  freight,  etc.,  cost  five  cents  per  pound  of  hops  han- 
dled; 12  pounds  of  good  hops  yield  one  pound  of  ex- 
tract, which  is  equal  in  the  brewery  to  12  pounds  of 
hops.  Brewers  patronize  this  factory  quite  largely, 
especially  when  hops  are  dear. 


240  THE   HOP. 

A  different  method  for  accomplishing  a  similar 
purpose  has  been  perfected  at  the  municipal  brewing 
school  in  Ghent,  Belgium,  and  is  now  being  used  by  a 
syndicate  of  Belgian  brewers.  They  establish  works 
near  the  plantations,  for  convenience  of  delivery,  and 
buy  hops  only  after  analysis,  paying  according  to  the 
amount  of  lupulin  they  contain,  quite  regardless  of 
color  or  odor.  The  hops  are  further  dried  at  95 
degrees  F.  The  dried  cones  are  then  operated  upon 
by  a  machine,  which,  by  the  action  of  brushes,  sieves 
and  fans,  breaks  them  up  into  their  separate  petals, 
and  mechanically  separates  from  them  the  lupulinic 
powder.  The  golden  flour  is  collected  and  put  aside. 
The  leaves  are  then  passed  through  a  series  of  several 
washing  cylinders,  being  treated  therein  with  water  at 
a  specified  heat,  until  they  are  completely  macerated, 
and  the  tannic  acid  and  other  soluble  matters  contained 
in  them  are  entirely  removed.  The  undissolved  pro- 
portion remaining  after  this  process  is  very  small; 
therefore  the  waste  is  reduced  to  a  minimum.  The 
fluid  passing  from  the  cylinders  is  then  evaporated  in 
vacuo  at  the  temperature  of  about  95  degrees  F.,  until 
it  attains  the  consistency  of  syrup.  To  this  are  then 
added  the  grains  of  lupulin,  forming  together  a  kind 
of  greasy,  brown  paste,  which  is  packed  in  hermetic- 
ally sealed  tin  boxes,  from  which  the  natural  air  is 
afterwards  expelled,  and  replaced  by  carbolic  gas. 

In  this  manner  it  is  claimed  that  all  the  useful  pre- 
servative quality,  as  well  as  the  flavor  originally  pos- 
sessed by  the  hops  is  preserved  without  any  deterio- 
ration, and  that  it  can  be  sold  to  the  brewer  for  his 
storage  for  an  indefinite  period.  Other  advantages 
shown  to  brewers  are: — 

Reduction  in  space  required  for  storage,  as  the 
bulk  of  the  hops  is  reduced  by  two-thirds,  100  pounds 
of  natural  hops  producing  30  pounds  of  extract;  uni- 
formity of  quality,  whereby  beer  can  always  be  pro- 


GRADING   AND   MARKETING   HOPS. 


241 


duced  with  the  same  flavor,  and  containing  the  same 
preservative  elements  under  any  varying  condition  of 
climate;  economy  in  using  extract  in  comparison  with 
natural  hops.  It  is  stated  that  the  extract  is  completely 
soluble  in  cold  as  well  as  hot  water,  and  that  there  is, 
therefore,  nothing  in  it  to  affect  the  color  or  the  clear- 
ness of  the  beer. 


FIG,   132.      SCENE  IN  AN  ENGLISH  OAST  HOUSE, 


16 


THE   HOP. 


CHAPTER  XV 

CONCENTRATION    IN    HOP    GROWING 

In  some  respects  the  growing  of  hops  on  the  Pa- 
cific coast  is  undergoing  the  same  evolution  that  is 
witnessed  in  other  industries.  For  lack  of  capital,  low 
prices  for  the  product,  inexperience  or, lack  of  proper 
attention  to  the  crop,  many  growers  have  been  forced 
out  of  the  industry,  and  in  not  a  few  cases  have  been 
obliged  to  sacrifice  their  plantations.  Their  farms 
thus  become  consolidated  into  large  holdings  owned 
and  operated  by  m?n  of  ample  means  and  knowledge, 
who  conduct  hop  growing  and  marketing  on  a  large 
scale,  by  scientific  methods  and  on  strictly  business 
principles. 

One  of  the  most  prominent  instances  of  this  ten- 
dency is  afforded  by  the  Horst  Brothers.  They  have 
under  cultivation  a  tract  of  700  acres  (see  Fig.  6,  Page 
24)  on  their  home  ranch  at  Horstville,  on  the  Bear 
river,  Yuba  county,  Cal.,  and  this  one  tract  produces 
annually  over  5000  bales,  equal  to  a  million  pounds, "of 
hops  per  year.  They  also  owrn  and  operate  other  large 
tracts  in  hops  on  the  Russian  river  in  California,  on  the 
Willamette  river  in  Oregon,  and  on  the  Fraser  river  in 
British  Columbia. 

The  Messrs.  Horst  grow  their  hops  against  con- 
tracts that  they  have  with  brewers  throughout  the 
world,  and  that  are  made  for  a  long  term  of  years  in 
advance,  thus  relieving  themselves  of  the  industry's 
speculative  features  and  giving  them  control  of  a  good 
share  of  the  hop  business.  This  plan  has  advantages 
for  the  breweries  as  well,  as  they  are  assured  of  a  sup- 
ply of  hops  of  satisfactory  quality  at  a  fair  margin  over 

243 


244 


THE   HOP. 


p£ 

fc   o 


. 
s! 


CONCENTRATION    IN   HOP   GROWING.  245 

the  cost  of  production,  which  is  usually  below  what 
they  would  otherwise  have  to  pay. 

The  ranch  at  Horstville  is  the  basis  for  their  ex- 
tensive operations.  The  entire  700  acres  devoted 
thereon  to  hops  are  set  in  the  improved  wire  trellis  on 
2O-foot  poles  that  are  set  two  feet  in  the  ground,  thus 
leaving  the  horizontal  trellis  wires  18  feet  overhead, 
from  which  two  strings  run  down  to  each  hill.  A  yard 
is  devoted  to  experimental  purposes,  where  the  dif- 
ferent varieties  from  all  parts  of  the  world  are  tested 
and  seedlings  are  originated,  some  of  which  bid  fair  to 
combine  all  the  qualities  most  desired.  The  illustra- 
tions in  connection  with  this  chapter  show  a  number  oi 
varieties  most  popular  with  brewers  that  are  grown  on 
a  large  scale  on  this  ranch. 

One  remarkable  feature  about  this  establishment  at 
Horstville  is  that  lice  and  mold  have  never  been  known 
since  hop  culture  was  inaugurated  there,  forty  years 
ago,  and  this  fact,  combined  with  a  soil  and  climate 
peculiarly  adapted  to  hop  culture,  makes  this  locality 
one  of  the. most  certain  and  most  prolific  sections  foi 
hops  in  the  world.  The  ranch  is  on  the  banks  of  the 
Bear  river,  and  in  a  dry  season  the  river  can  be  used 
for  irrigating,  thus  making  the  crop  certain  regardless 
of  rain.  In  the  year  1898,  when  California  suffered 
from  such  a  drouth  as  had  never  been  known,  this  hop 
ranch  produced  the  same  quality  and  quantity  per  acre 
as  usual. 

By  thus  concentrating,  under  one  management, 
many  plantations,  the  entire  culture,  harvest,  curing 
and  sale  of  the  crop  is  in  the  hands  of  experts.  Noth- 
ing is  left  to  guesswork;  slipshod  methods  are  not 
tolerated.  Every  detail  is  conducted  on  businesslike 
and  scientific  principles  and  receives  the  benefit  of  the 
wide  experience  acquired  by  the  owners  of  this  ranch, 
not  only  in  growing  hops,  but  in  disposing  of  them. 

The  latest  improvement  devised  by  Horst  Brothers 


FIG.    135.      EAST  KENT   GOLDINGS. 

From  photograph  cf.one  of  llorst  Brothers'  Hop  Ranches, 


CONCENTRATION   IN    HOP   GROWING.  247 

is  their  new  kilns.  These  dry  and  cure  the  hops  at  the 
lowest  possible  temperature  and  are  now  being  further 
improved  with  a  system  by  means  of  which  the  hops 
are  dried  by  currents  of  air  driven  through  them  by  fan 
blowers.  This  air  is  not  heated  at  all,  and  no  artificial 
heat  of  any  kind  will  be  used  to  effect  the  drying  or 
curing,  thereby  completely  preserving  the  aroma,  tex- 
ture and  lupnlin, — qualities  which  are  otherwise  likely 
to  be  sacrificed,  to  a  more  or  less  extent,  during  the 
cure.  These  kilns  and  storage  houses  are  built  entirely 
of  iron,  bridge  construction  for  the  frame,  corrugated 
iron  for  sides  and  roof,  and  the  hop  kiln  floors  are  No. 
4  steel  wires,  one  and  one-half  inches  apart,  with  No. 
10  crosswires  about  six  inches  apart,  thus  giving  prac- 
tically all  the  surface  to  curing  the  hops,  instead  of 
only  one-half,  as  by  the  ordinary  wooden  floor  process. 
These  iron  kilns  are  considered  so  absolutely  fireproof 
that  no  insurance  is  carried,  and  this  style  of  construc- 
tion is  evidently  to  come  into  general  use.  All  the 
other  hop  kilns  on  this  ranch  are  now  being  remodeled 
to  conform  to  the  arrangement  of  the  battery  of  six 
kilns  above  described,  which  are  shown  in  the  illus- 
tration on  Page  216. 

Another  notable  improvement  used  by  Horst 
Brothers  is  a  hydraulic  compress  for  recompressing 
the  ordinary  2OO-pound  bale  of  hops  into  a  package  of 
one-half  the  usual  size.  This  saves  space  in  storage 
and  in  transportation,  and  brewers  speak  highly  of  the 
better  keeping  qualities  of  the  hops  thus  compressed. 
The  crop  is  here  grown  on  such  a  large  scale  that  it  is 
shipped  from  the  ranch  by  whole  train-loads,  to  be  dis- 
tributed throughout  the  world. 


248 


TITE    HOP. 


ft  5 

^H       C 

o  •" 


s| 
5i 


6  = 
E  i 


CHAPTER  XVI 


EXPENSES    AND    PROFITS    OF    HOP    CULTURE 


HE  cost  of  growing  hops  va- 
ries widely,  even  between 
neighboring  plantations,  by 
reason  of  differences  of 
methods  and  yields,  and  still 
more  widely  between  differ- 
ent countries.  Profits  fluc- 
tuate even  more  seriously, 
depending  upon  both  yield 
and  prices.  The  yield  of 
cured  hops  per  acre  ordi- 
narily varies  within  the  following  limits  as  a  fair  aver- 
age for  all  growers,  but  in  extraordinary  seasons  may 
exceed  them  either  way,  while  the  best  growers  will 
often  exceed  the  highest  figure  quoted: 

YIELD  OF  CURED  HOPS  PER  ACRE  AND  COST. 

Pounds  per  acre. 


Highest. 

Lowest. 

Average. 

Cost  peril). 

Germany      

800 

400 

500 

20  to  30c 

England 

1  000 

500 

900 

12  to  20c 

New  York  

1,500 

400 

800 

8  to  20c 

Pacific  coast  

2,000 

600 

1,200 

6  to  15c 

GERMANY — Owing  to  the  peculiar  methods  in  Germany, 
previously  noted,  it  is  quite  useless  to  attempt  any  statement 
of  receipts  and  expenses  of  the  peasant  hop  grower. 

FOR  ENGLAND,  however,  Whitehead,  in  1893,  revised  all 
previous  estimates,  and  Mr.  E.  H.  Elvy,  editor  of  the  Kentish 
Observer,  the  leading  hop  journal  in  England,  has  carefully 
corrected  the  returns  up  to  1899  for  this  work,  as  follows: 

The  land  on  which  hops  are  grown  in  Kent  is  worth 
about  $200  an  acre,  and  interest  is  reckoned  at  5  per  cent. 
To  start  a  new  plantation  will  cost  from  $100  to  $125  per 
acre,  including  preparation  of  the  soil,  fertilizing,  sets  and 
planting,  cultivating,  rent,  taxes,  etc.  Plants  cost  $1  to  $2.50 

249 


250 


THE   HOP. 


per  100,  usually  $1.25.  Poles  or  trellis  cost  $50  to  $100  per 
acre.  Thus  the  cost  to  get  ready  a  new  hop  yard  in  England 
will  vary  from  $150  to  $275  per  acre.  The  kiln  for  20  acres 
costs  about  $2500,  or,  say,  $100  an  acre.  After  this  invest- 
ment, the  following  table  affords  a  fair  range  of  the  yearly 
expense  over  a  large  part  of  the  English  acreage,  being  larger 
or  smaller  according  to  circumstances. 

ENGLAND— AVERAGE  YEARLY  EXPENSE  PER  ACRE  OF  HOPS.* 


Highest 

Lowest. 

Average 

Manure  

$40.00 

$20.00 

$30.00 

Diererine 

6.00 

3.00 

4.50 

Dressing  or  cutting  

2.00 

1.00 

1.50 

11.00 

7.00 

9.50 

Cultivating  and  hoeing.  .  .  .  

16.00 

10.00 

12.50 

Stacking,  stripping,  cleaning  np  yards  
Annual  renewal  of  "poles  or  trellis 

4.00 
10  00 

2.50 
7.00 

3.00 

8  50 

Picking,  curing,  packing,  sampling,  etc  
Rent  taxes  repairs  interest  etc 

50.00 
32  00 

30.00 
25  00 

42.50 
27  50 

Sulphuring  to  prevent  mildew             

5.00 

2.00 

3.50 

Spraying  against  lice,  etc  

12.00 

7.50 

9.00 

Total  

$188.00 

$115.00 

$152.00 

Lbs.  per  acre  under  favorable  conditions  .. 
Cost  per  pound,  say  

1,000 
19c 

700 
17c 

900 
16c 

*The£  sterling  is  figured  at  $5,  the  shilling  at  25  cents,  the  penny 
at  two  cents. 

Thus  we  get  an  annual  charge  per  acre  of  $188  as  one 
extreme,  down  to  $115  as  the  lowest,  or  an  average  of  $152 
for  yards  kept  up  in  good  condition;  against  about  $112 
estimated  by  Marshall  just  a  century  earlier,  about  $120  by 
Mainwaring's  figures  in  1855,  and  Worcester  planters'  esti- 
mate in  1890  of  $145  to  $170  per  acre  for  a  good  crop. 

A — Annual  cost  per  acre  of  hop  culture  in  an   East  Kent  yard,  three 
pole  system  and  simplest  methods  still  largely  followed. ' 

Stripping  vines  and  stacking  poles $  1.25 

Annual  icnewal  of  poles ....  25.00 

Stable  manure,  also  carting  and  spreading  it 15.00 

Digging  $5,  cutting  $1.25,  poling  $3,  tying  $3 12.25 

Digging  about  hills  $1.25,  shimming  and  harrowing  $5 6.25 

Picking  $25,  digging  $10,  pockets  $6.25 41.25 

Rent,  rates,  tithes  $20,  sundries  $6.25 26.25 

Total  cost  for  average  yield  of  7  cwt.  per  acre $127.25 

Average  cost  of  hops  per  pound 16c 

B— Annual  cost  per  acre  of  hop  culture  in   Mr.  J.  D.  Maxted's  yard, 
East  Kent,  on  the  Butcher  wire  trellis  and  highest  culture  by  meth- 
ods employed  by  the  most  enterprising  planters  in  England. 
Manures— 12   loads   of  dung  $15,  10  cwt.  of  artificial  fertilizer 

$10,  5  cwt.  gypsum  $1.43 $26.43 

Team  labor— Carting  out  dung  $4,  plowing  $2,  twice  3-horse 
shimming  $3,  thrice  2-horse  ditto  $2.62,  twice  1-horse  harrow 

50c.  cartage  on  fertilizer 28c 12.30 

Manual  labor— Spreading  dung  37c,  digging  slips  three  times 
$7.50,  cutting  $1.25,  stringing  $2.50,  cutting  off  old  vines  $1, 
training  $7.50,  repairs  to  wire  work  and  lews  $1.50,  digging 

round  50c. ...,..,..,,, , 22.52 


EXPENSES  AKD   PROFITS. 


251 


Sundries— Three  cultivating*  $11.38,  tliree  sulphurings  $2.16, 
string  for  trellis  $8.22,  new  poles  and  wire  $2.40,  new  imple- 
ments and  repairs  to  old  ones  $3.60,  blacksmith's  bill  $1.68, 
rent  and  rates  $14.58,  proportion  of  supervision  $4.86,  hire 
of  oast  $2.40 51.28 

Total  up  to  harvest  time  (about  6%  cts  per  Ib.) $112.53 

Harvesting  and  marketing  costs  30s  per  cwt.,  or  within  a  frac- 
tion of  6y2c  per  Ib,  including  picking  and  curing  and  getting 
to  market  (coal,  brimstone,  pockets,  binmen,  tallymen,  cart- 
age to  oasts  and  station,  freight,  insurance,  commission  and 
sampling),  a  total  of 106.72 

Aggregate  cost  of  a  yield  of  15  cwt.  per  acre  (or  1,680  IDs.  at  an 

average  cost  of  a  trifle  over  13  cents  per  Ib.) $219.25 

COST  OF  HOPS  IN  NEW  YORK  STATE,  U.  S.  A. 
NET  PROFITS  OF  $150  PER  ACRE — The  late  William 
Brooks  of  Cooperstown,  New  York,  furnished  a  remarkable 
statement  to  the  New  England  rlunestead  i.i  1885,  in  which 
he  placed  the  cost  of  production  at  lOc  per  Ib.  He  always 
gave  his  yard  the  best  possible  care  and  soki  his  hops  at 
the  market  price  when  baled.  He  bought  his  farm  of  100 
acres  in  1863  for  $3000.  It  had  five  acres  in  hops,  to  which 
he  added  two  more  acres  in  1866.  From  these  seven  acres, 
he  received  $38,180  for  the  21  hop  crops,  1863-'84,  or  an  aver- 
age of  $23(57  per  year,  equal  to  $339  per  acre  per  year.  But  this 
was  during  a  period  when  hops  averaged  higher  than  of  late 
years.  But  the  fact  that  the  crop  yielded  an  average  of  1300 
Ibs.  per.  acre  all  these  years,  or  nearly  double  the  product 
on  neighboring  yards,  where  cost  per  pound  was  as  much  or 
more,  shows  what  can  be  done.  His  net  profits  must  have 
averaged  for  the  21  years  over  $150  per  acre.  Mr.  Brooks 
furnished  details  of  his  last  10  crops  as  follows: 


Bales. 

rounds. 

Price  per  pound. 

Tot'l  rec'ts. 

1875 
1876 
1877 
1878 
1879 
1880 
1881 
1882 
1883 
1884 

Total, 
Av.  per  year,  7  a 
Av.  per  year,  pe 

48 
43 
62 
46 
49 
43 
52 
36 
54 
53 

9,910 
8,869 
12,006 
8,693 
8,531 
8,221 
9,663 
6,402 
9,636 
9,590 

13c 
34c 
lie 
14c 
30-35C 
16c 
25c 
70c 
31c 
24-25c 

$1,288 
3,113 
1,309 
1,141 
3,512 
1,315 
2.417 
4,481 
2,876 
2,223 

486 
cres 
r  acre 

91,521 
9,152 
1,307 

av  25.8c 

25.8c 
25.8c 

$23,675 
2,367 
339 

NEW  YORK  STATE— COST  OF  GROWING  HOPS 

OTSEGO  COUNTY.  N.  Y. — W.  H.  G.'s  10-acre  hop  field 
cost  $75  an  acre,  hills  8x8  ft,  or  675  per  acre;  cedar  poles  at 
12c,  delivered,  cost  $810  for  the  yard.  The  kiln  and  store- 
room is  50x24,  and  cost,  including  furnace,  press,  and  other 
fixtures,  $1600.  The  sacks  for  green  hops,  boxes  for  picking, 
etc.,  cost  $40.  The  cultivators,  hillers,  grub  hooks,  bars  for 
pole-setting,  etc.,  cost  $50.  The  pickers  boarded  themselves 
and  at  40c  per  box  were  paid  $206  for  the  515  boxes;  five  box- 
tenders  at  $1  each  for  15  days,  $75;  expense  of  collecting  and 


252 


THE   HOP. 


carrying  pickers,  $15;  man  at  kiln  15  nights,  at  $1.25  per 
night,  $18.75;  use  of  kiln-cloth  $3  (it  cost  $45  for  900  Ibs.  at 
5c),  a  total  of  $317.75,  or  3.9c  per  Ib.  of  cured  hops.  Insur- 
ance was  $3500  on  hop  house  for  30  days  at  40c  per  $100,  mak- 
ing $14,  and  $2000  for  balance  of  year  at  $12.  Work  is 
charged  for  at  its  local  market  value.  Total  cost  a  trifle 
over  12c  per  lb.,and  i  s  he  sold  for  13c,he  made  a  slight  profit 
over  and  above  fair  return  for  his  labor  and  capital.  The 
operating  expenses  were  8.5c  per  Ib.  sold,  fixed  charges  3.7c, 
or  a  total  cost  of  12.2c  per  Ib.  of  hops.  If  $30  worth  of  the 
$88  spent  for  fertilizers  is  allowed  to  be  i  the  soil  for  the 
next  crop,  the  net  operating  expense  of  this  1897  crop  was 
$663.25,  or  $66.35  per  acre.  Adding  depreciation  and  taxes, 
$259,  the  total  cost  of  production  is  $922  for  the  ten  acres, 
or,  say,  $92  per  acre.  Deduct  this  total  cost  from  the  receipts 
for  the  crop,  and  the  balance  of  $126  represents  the  net  re- 
turns on  the  $750  invested  in  the  land,  or  17  per  cent.  Or,  if 
we  figure  the  investment  at  $3250  (including  land,  $750,  poles 
$810,  building  $1600,  tools  $90),  the  difference  of  $395  between 
operating  expenses  ($663)  and  receipts  ($1058)  represents  the 
net  earnings  on  the  investment,  and  shows  a  net  income  on 
such  investment  of  nearly  13  per  cent.  In  the  table  the  items 
are  arranged  in  the  order  that  the  work  was  done. 


Ten  acres, 


One  acre. 


Setting  poles  at  20c  per  100 

Grubbing  by  hand 

Two-horse  cultivator,  once  both  ways 

Tying  np  shoots,  four  women  at  75c  per  day 

Twine  and  labor  putting  on 

Tying,  trimming,  training  (women) 

Cultivating  again,  both  ways. . . 

Fertilizing  (four  tons  hardwood  ashes  at  $12,  one 
ton  bone  meal  $40) 

Handling,  mixing  and  applying  fertilizers  about 
hills 

Twine,  and  putting  on 

Hilling,  shovel-plow  one  way  and  hoeing 

Last  two  cultivatiugs  (lightly),  tying  up  broken 
vines,  etc 

Harvesting  and  curing  (details  above) 

Brimstone  $3,  fuel  $8,  insurance  $26 

Baling  at  20c  per  bale 

Stacking  poles,  covering  hills  for  winter 

Delivering  crop  at  station 

Operating  expenses  for  crop 

Fixed  charges  (interest  on  land  at  6  per  cent.,  $42; 
depreciation  of  poles  at  10  per  cent.,  $81 ;  de- 
preciation on  kilns,  tools,  boxes,  etc.,  $169; 

taxes,  $9) 

,  Total  cost  of  crop 

8140  Ibs.  hops  sold  and  netted 

Net  balance 


$13.50 
25.00 
12.00 
9.00 
40.00 
30.00 
10.00 

88.00 

7.00 
40.00 
20.00 

15.00 
317.75 
37.00 

9.00 
15.00 

5.00 


$1.35 
2.50 
1.20 
90 
4.00 
3.00 
1.00 

8.80 

.70 
4.00 
2.00 

1.50 
31.77 
3.70 

.90 
1.50 

.50 


$693.25 


301.00 


$69.32 


30.10 


$994.25 

1,058.20 

$53.95 


$99.42 
105.82 
$5.40 


MADISON  COUNTY,  N.  Y. — L.  W.  Griswold  gives  his 
estimate  of  cost  of  raising  one  acre  of  hops  in  the  table  be- 
low. Dividing  the  total  cost  by  1000  Ibs.,  which  is  certainly 


EXPENSES  AND   PROFITS.  253 

a  large  average  yield  per  acre,  it  gives  the  cost  of  the  first 
crop  as  a  little  over  25c  per  lb.,  exclusive  of  the  cost  of  build- 
ing kiln  and  storehouse.  Deducting  the  price  of  poles,  roots 
and  tools,  preparation  and  planting  of  yard,  and  adding 
$5  for  the  breakage  of  poles  and  wear  of  tools,  we  find  the 
cost  for  the  following  year  to  be  $76. 85,  or  a  trifle  over 7^c  per 
lb.  When,  however,  we  add  $500  for  building  a  kiln  and  store- 
house, to  tLe  other  expenses,  and  depreciation,  interest,  etc., 
on  same  the  actual  cost  is  far  above  71/&c. 

Preparing  ground  for  planting $3.00 

Sets  for  planting  750  hills 7.50 

1,500  hop  poles,  lOc  each 150.00 

Tools,  including  two  hop  boxes 12.00 

Setting  poles,  20c  per  100 3.00 

Grubbing,  one  day's  work 2.00 

Plowing  and  cultivating  twice  each 6.00 

Hoeing  twice,  two  days'  work 4.00 

Tying  three  t imes 3.00 

Picking  77  boxes,  30c  per  box 23.10 

Boarding  and  lodging  pickers 12.00 

Drying  hops 5.00 

Baling  10  bales,  50  yds.  sacking  and  labor 7.50 

Interest  on  land,  valued  at  $150  per  acre 7.50 

Insurance  $2,  taxes  75c,  fertilizers  $6 8.75 

Total  cost $254.35 

ANOTHER  OTSEGO  STATEMENT  (by  James  Ferris) — The 
largest  grower  in  the  county  failed,  though  his  hops 
sold  at  an  average  of  20c;  another  whose  real  estate  was  free 
of  mortgage  in  1893  failed  in  '97.  Hemlock  poles  18  to  25  ft. 
long  cost  ll%c,  delivered  ready  for  setting,  851  per  acre,  one 
to  each  hill  7x7  ft,  or  $97.86;  with  proper  care,  they  last  15 
years,  annual  loss,  $6.52,  interest  at  6  per  cent,  $5.87,  total 
yearly  cost  of  poles  $12.39.  It  is  easy  to  determine  cost  of 
setting  a  yard  and  first  year's  cultivation.  Potatoes  or  corn, 
potatoes  preferably,  are  planted  with  hops  the  first  year, 
occupying  three-quarters  of  the  ground.  As  120  bu.  of  pota- 
toes to  an  acre  is  an  average  crop,  the  hops  would  displace 
just  30  bu.  of  potatoes  per  acre,  which,  at  an  average  price 
of  40c  per  bu.,  would  have  been  worth  $12.  But  the  seed  for 
hops  usually  costs  more,  and  they  receive  better  care  than 
potatoes.  Such  additional  cost  is  about  $2  per  acre.  The 
average  period  which  a  hop  yard  will  last  and  be  produc- 
tively profitable  is  about  six  years.  So  that  the  average  cost 
of  planting  yards  to  displace  those  running  out  would  be 
$2.33  per  acre  per  annum  on  all  hop  land  harvested.  During 
depressed  times,  only  one  shovelful  of  barnyard  manure 
is  placed  in  each  hill  in  the  autumn,  but  when  prices  are 
good,  more  is  used — about  eight  two-horse  loads  are  used  per 
acre,  worth  $8,  and  it  costs  $2  to  apply.  When  pickers  are 
plenty,  they  can  usually  be  hired  to  pick  and  board  them- 
selves for  40c  per  box  at  present  (1898),  but  in  this  locality 
not  half  enough  pickers  can  be  hired  to  pick  and  board 
themselves.  The  grower  is  obliged  to  board  them,  and  go 


254  THE   HOP. 

some  distance  after  them,  making  the  average  cost  of  pick- 
ing about  45c  per  box,  and  as  hops  usually  cure  about  15 
Ibs.  to  the  box,  this  would  make  the  cost  of  picking  3c  per 
Ib.  Drying  can  be  hired  done  at  %c,  the  grower  finding 
brimstone  and  fuel,  and  this  is  as  cheap  as  he  can  do  it  him- 
self if  due  allowance  is  made  for  capital,  depreciation  and 
insurance  of  kiln.  My  figures  make  the  crop  of  700  Ibs.  per 
acre  (which  is  about  the  average)  cost  IS^c  per  Ib.,  as 
follows: 

Hop  poles  $12.39,  renewing  roots  $2.33 $14.72 

Manure,  and  its  application 10.00 

Clearing  up  in  f«  II,  stacking  poles,  etc 2.50 

Setting  poles  $1.50,  grubbing  $1 2.50 

Plowing  four  furrows  per  row  each  way  from  hill 2.50 

Cultivating  twice  in  row  both  ways 1.00 

Tying  twice  $2,  twine  $4,  putting  on  $1 7.00 

Training  and  hoeing 4.00 

Winding  on  twine,  tying  with  ladder 2.00 

Plowing  to  hill  $2.50,  hilling  $1.50,  cultivating  $1 5.00 

Picking  3c  per  Ib.  cured  hops,  box  tending  and  yard  boss  Ic,  cus- 
tom, drying  %c,  brimstone,  fuel,  balii.g,  marketing  %c,  to- 
tal per  700  Ibs 26.75 

Baling  cloth  $1.40,  insuring  crop  42c 1.82 

Rent  of  land  at  least 3.00 


Total  for  700  Ibs.  hops,  one  acre $82.79 

ST.  LAWRENCE  COUNTY,  N.  Y.  (S.  Hemingway) — Small 
items  might  be  added  to  make  the  total  below  an  even 
$110  per  acre,  or  20c  per  Ib.  for  500  Ibs.  per  acre,  about  lie 
for  1000  Ibs.,  or  (allowing  for  heavier  manuring  and  in- 
creased cost  of  harvesting  and  curing)  about  7c  per  2000  Ibs. 
per  acre.  The  kiln,  20x30  ft,  cost  about  $300,  on  which  inter- 
est, $18,  depreciation,  $20,  and  insurance,  $10,  cost  $48 
per  year,  one-fifth  of  which  is  charged  against  one  acre.  I 
use  two  poles  to  each  of  680  hills  per  acre,  or  1360  poles  per 
acre,  costing  $68,  and  allow  10  per  cent,  for  depreciation. 

One-fourth  day  uncovering  hills  35c,  two  days  setting  poles  $2.50, 

one  day  plowing  $2.00 ." $4.85 

One  day  hoeing  $1.25, one  day  tying  $1.25,  one  day  trimming  $1.25  3.75 

680  Ibs.  fertilizer 10.40 

Thre,e  days'  plowing,  2d,  3d  and  4th  times 6.00 

Three  days'  hoeing  $3.75,  two  days  resetting  poles  $2.50 6.25 

One-half  day's  attention  weekly  for  16  weeks 10.00 

Picking  1,000  Ibs.  at  3c 30.00 

Two  nights'  drying  at  $2 4.00 

One-half  day's  baling,  two  men 2.50 

Two  days' stacking  poles  $2.50,  one  day's  cutting  and  burning 

vines  $1.25,  one  day's  covering  hills  $1.25 5.00 

Total  operating  expenses $82.75 

Fixed  charges :    Interest  at  6  per  cent.on  land  worth  $50  an  acre 

$3,  depreciation  on  poles  $10.88,  use  of  kiln  $9.60 23.48 

Aggregate  expenses  per  acre $106^23 

FROM  NORTHERN  OHIO 

Statement  of  Banner  and  Hatch  of  Richland  County,  Ohio. 

The  plant — buildings,  tools,  boxes,   press,   etc.,  for  five 

acres  cost  $245,  interest  on  which  is  $14.70.     As  it  lasts  20 


EXPENSES   AND   PROFITS. 


255 


years,  5  per  cent,  is  allowed  for  depreciation,  or  $12.25  per 
yoar,  or  $26.95  per  annum  for  use  of  kiln,  of  which  one-fifth 
is  charged  to  the  one  acre.  One  yard  lasts  about  six  years 
on  our  gravelly  clay  loam,  rolling  and  fairly  drained;  worth 
$50  per  acre,  tax  50c.  Crop  for  four  years  (1893-'97)  averaged 
SO  boxes,  or  960  Ibs.  per  acre;  set  7x7  ft.,  or  nearly  750  hills 


a 


c  d 

FIG.    137.      HOMEMADE   HOP    PRESS. 

a  Studs  to  hold  press  together;  6,  manner  of  supporting  press;  r,  bottom  of  press; 
1  d  finished  press.  Four  rods  of  3!£  in.  iron  about  16  ft.  long  are  bent,  and  ends 
welded  tosretlier  like  large  chain  links.  These  are  passed  through  the  floor 
above  the  press,  where  they  are  supported  by  strong  scantling  4x4.  In  the 
lower  ends  place  timbers  4x6  as  bed  pieces,  6.  The  bottom,  r,  is  made  of  2  in. 
planks  2  ft.  long,  with  end  strips  3>£  ft.  in  length.  The  studs,  a,  at  the  sides, 
are  of  2x5  in.  stuff,  mortised  into  the  bottom  and  held  together  by  a  long  mor- 
tise at  the  top.  The  sides  are  shown  in  d.  The  box  may  be  5  ft.  long  inside, 
18  in.  wide,  and  6  ft.  high. 

per  acre.  First  year's  expenses  are  $24  (of  which  one-sixth 
is  charged  up  annually),  and  includes  10  loads  of  manure  $5, 
fitting  ground  $3,  roots  $1,  planting  $3,  cultivating  and  hoe- 
ing four  times  $6,  five  loads  manure  to  cover  hills  $2.50, 
interest  and  taxes  $3.50,  poles  (two  to  a  hill)  1500  per  acre, 
cost  2c  each  delivered,  or  $30,  and  being  good  for  six  years, 


256  THE   HOP. 

cost  $5  per  year.     The  annual  expenses  in  the  second  and 
subsequent  years  will  average  as  follows: 

Annual  charge  on  first  cost , $4.00 

Grubbing,  two  days'  work  at  $1.50 3.00 

Poles  $5,  and  poling  3%  days  $5.75 1075 

Sharpening  poles  (40c  per  100,  good  for  3  yrs,  $6),  one  year 2.00 

Plowing  both  ways,  iy2  days  at  $2 3.00 

Cultivating  four  times  at  75c 3.00 

Hoeing  twice,  four  days,  at  $1.50 6.00 

Tying  up  vines  1V2  days  at  $1.25 1.87 

Picking  80  boxes  hops  at  25c 20.00 

Board  28  pickers  168  meals  at  lOc 16.80 

Four  box  tenders  two  days  at  $1 8.00 

Board  box  tenders,  24  meals  at  lOc 2.40 

Put  hops  on  kiln,  two  kilns  at  $1 2.00 

Man  to  dry,  two  kilns  at  $1.50 3.00 

Wood  2V2  cords,  two  kilns  at  $1.50 3.75 

Brimstone,  two  kilns .90 

Baling  five  bales  at  30c,  delivering  50c 2.00 

Sacking  $1.25,  stacking  poles  $1.50 2.75 

Total  operating  expenses $95.22 

Fixed  charges  :    Depreciation  $5.93,  rent  $3,  taxes,  50c 9.43 

Aggregate  (10.8c  per  Ib.  for  960  Ibs.) "$ToT65 

COST  OF  HOPS  ON  THE  PACIFIC  COAST 

CALIFORNIA — Daniel  Flint  says  a  hop  kiln  for  50  acres 
with  all  things  complete  will  cost  $3500  to  $4000.  High  wire 
trellis  costs  $80  to  $90  per  acre,  2000  roots  $20,  and  Japanese 
will  contract  to  do  for  $10.25  per  acre  all  the  hand  labor 
on  the  crop  until  it  is  ready  to  harvest.  Picking,  curing  and 
baling  costs  him  $2200  on  64  acres,  and  $1500  on  40  acres,  an 
average  of  about  $35  per  acre. 

OREGON,  Washington  Co. — E.  C.  Malloy  submits  a 
statement  of  a  nine-acre  hop  yard  started  in  1893  on  land 
worth  $25  an  acre,  interest  at  10  per  cent,  taxes  17  mills  on 
the  dollar.  No  man  are  is  used,  nor  hoeing  after  the  first 
season;  kiln  is 25x25 ft, 20  ft  studding,  that  cost  $200,  two  fur- 
naces and  pipes  $54,  warehouse  $125,  total  on  building  $379. 
The  harvesting  equipment,  picking  and  curing  the  first  crop 
cost  $51.  Plowing,  setting  out,  cultivating  and  poles  for  the 
first  crop,  produced  the  same  year,  $281,  interest  and  taxes 
$29.  This  makes  an  even  $1200  for  cost  of  first  crop,  or  $133 
an  acre  for  a  yield  averaging  1300  Ibs.,  which  would  have 
to  net  lie  per  Ib.  to  pay  all  t^ese  expenses  and  leave  the 
yard  in  sood  shape. 

For  the  next  crop  it  cost  $1.25  per  acre  for  cleaning  up 
yard,  $11.25:  $12  per  acre  for  setting  poles,  tying  up  hops 
and  cultivating,  $108:  harvesting,  curing,  baling,  etc.,  $472: 
interest,  insurance,  taxes,  and  depreciation  on  the  whole 
outfit,  $107.  This  made  the  second  c:*op  cost  $698,  or  over 
$77  per  acre,  equal  to  6c  per  Ib.  on  1300  Ibs.  per  acre.  "To 
further  show  the  uncertainties  of  this  business,  especiallv 
in  this  region,  I  want  to  say  that  instead  of  getting  11  and  6c 
for  those  crops,  I  got  5%  and  4c,  while  many  others  con- 


EXPENSES   AND   PKOFITS.  257 

signed  their  hops  on  advances  of  2  to  21/&c  per  Ib.  and  never 
got  another  cent." 

OREGON:  A  Polk  Co.  Report— For  the  first  plowing 
in  spring,  one  man  and  two  horses  will  plow  four  acres 
a  day,  at  $2  per  day,  which  is  50c  per  acre.  One  man 
and  one  horse  will  cultivate  down  five  acres  a  day  at  $1.50 
per  day,  or  30c  per  acre.  Cross  plowing  will  cost  the  same 
a?  first  plowing,  and  cross  leveling  the  same  as  first  culti- 
Drying  hops,  including  wood  and  sulphur,  Ic;  pressing  in- 
over  five  acres*  a  day  at  a  cost  of  40c  per  acre;  three  addi- 
tional cultivatings  will  cost  the  same  each.  Smoothing,  or 
clod  smashing,  both  ways,  one  man  and  one  horse,  five  acres, 
or  ten  acres  one  way,  will  cost  30c  per  acre.  It  takes  12  Ibs. 
of  10-ply  cotton  twine  for  an  acre,  at  12c  per  Ib.  Putting  on 
twine,  one  man,  five  acres  one  way,  costs  40c  per  acre  twined 
both  ways.  Land  is  worth  $75  an  acre,  interest  8  per  cent, 
taxes  $1.50  per  acre,  repairs  and  depreciation  on  tools  $1.25. 
Three  sprayings  will  require  18  Ibs.  quassia  chips  $1.08,  36 
Ibs.  whale-oil  soap  $1.80,  labor  $2,  repairs  37c,  total  $5.25. 
This  gives  us  for  one  acre: 

Cultivating  as  above $3.60 

Hauling  40c,  and  setting  stakes  $2 2.40 

New  stakes  $1.50,   twine  and   twining  $1.84 3.34 

Hoeing  and  sprouting  hills 3.00 

Training  vines* four  times , 6.00 

Pruning  surplus  vines 2.00 

Cleaning  yard  in  fall 1.25 

Interest  and  taxes 7.90 

Spraying  three  times —  5.25 

Total  (about  2y3c  per  Ib.  for  1,500  Ibs.  of  cured  hops) $34.74 

Picking  at  40c  per  box  will  cost  about  3c  per  Ib.,  and 
yard  help  (including  delivering  hops  at  kiln)  V8c  more, 
vat  ing.  With  disk  harrow,  one  man  and  two  horses  will  go 
eluding  hop  cloth,  five  yards  to  the  bale,  at  8c,  %c;  insur- 
ance, interest  and  repairs  on  plant,  warehouse  storage,  etc., 
Ic,  making  a  total  of  harvesting  expenses  of  5^c  a  pound. 
The  crop  will  therefore  cost  the  grower  about  8c  per  Ib. 
These  figures  are  not  the  itemized  expenses  of  any  one 
grower  in  any  particular  year,  but  will  cover  the  average 
cost  for  the  last  three  years  (1896-7  ^  of  those  who  own 
and  work  their  own  hop  yards.  "I  do  not  think  that  any  one 
man's  itemized  expenses  for  any  one  year  is  a  safe  basis 
from  which  to  draw  conclusions,  as  my  hops  have  not  cost 
me  exactly  the  same  any  two  years." 

OREGOIST,  Yamhill  Co.,  T.  W.  F.— My  hop  garden  contains 
20.37  acres,  valued  at  $125  Der  acre.  The  hills  are  eight 
feet  apart  each  way,  a  total  of  12,915  hills.  The  poles 
are  fir  and  cost  on  the  yard  two  cents  apiece,  or  $258.30.  The 
kiln  is  an  octagonal buildin?.  28  ft.  each  way  in  the  clear,  with 
storeroom  combined  20x24  ft;  with  furnace,  piping  and  press, 
it  cost  $910;  150  sacks  $30,  five  measuring  boxes  of  cedar,  hold- 

17 


258 


THE   HOP. 


ing  nine  bushels  each,  $4.50.  We  use  no  fertilizer,  as  to  culti- 
vate the  ground  well  is  all  that  is  necessary  here,  the  soil 
being  of  a  clayey  nature,  mixed  with  a  very  small  amount  of 
sand.  Hops  at  this  date  (Feb.  14,  '98)  are  nearly  all  sprouted 
or  up,  now  and  then  one  an  inch  long.  My  '97  crop  was 
16,187  Ibs.,  or  an  average  of  795  Ibs.  per  acre,  and  cost  a 
fraction  over  7c  per  lb.,  as  follows: 

Cleaning  up  and  burning  vines  ..................................... 

Grubbing  $35,  setting  poles  $27,  twine  $16.90.  ..    ................. 

Putting  twine  on  poles  $7,  training  and  hoeing  $158,  plowing  $58, 
harrowing  $9  .................................................... 

Rolling  $11,  reversible  disk  harrowing  $22  ......................... 

Spraying  .............................................................. 

Picking  1,258  boxes  at  40e  ............................................ 

Yard  man  during  picking  ........................................... 

Two  men  to  measure  hops  .......................................... 

Man  and  team  to  haul  green  hops  to  kiln  .......................... 

Two  men  at  kiln  11  days  at  $2  each  ................................. 

440  yards  of  baling  cloth  ......................................... 

Baling  88  bales  at  20c  ................   ................................ 

Twine  to  sew  up  bales  ........................................... 

Kiln  cloth  $5.10,  600  Ibs.  sulphur  $10,  fuel  $10  ...................... 

Oil  for  press  and  lights  .............................................. 

Two  men  and  teams  to  draw  hops  to  station  ..................... 

Insurance  and  taxes  ................................................ 

Total  cost  ....    .....  ........  .  ........................  . 

Balance  net  profit 

Total  crop  sold  at  13c  per  lb  ..........  . 


$14.00 

78.90 

232.00 

33.00 

46.00 

503.20 

27.00 

39.00 

28.00 

44.00 

37.40 

17.60 

2.70 

25.10 

2.00 

5.50 

34.53 

1,169.93 

934.38 

2.104,31 


WASHINGTON,  KING  COUNTY,  1897  CROP  (By  Alexander  Adair). 


Ten  acres. 

One  acre. 

Grubbing  $50,  setting  poles  $50      ..   

$100  00 

$10  00 

Tying  up  vines  

25  00 

2  50 

Plowing  and  cultivating     

100  00 

10  00 

Spraying,  three  men  and  horse  10  days  

5000 

5  00 

Quassia  chips,  whale-oil  soap  

36  00 

3  60 

Picking,  $1  per  box  

456.00 

45.60 

Six  men  eight  days  at  $2    

96  00 

9  60 

Insurance  on  hops  and  kilns  $2,000  

55.00 

5  50 

Freight  on  nops  to  Seattle        

45  45 

4  54 

Hop  cloth  and  sulphur  

41.00 

4.10 

Total  

$1,004.45 

$100  44 

Harvested  and  sold   Ibs.          .        

11  700 

1  170 

Sold  at  8c  per  lb  

$936.00 

$93  60 

Loss  on  crop  

68.45 

6.84 

RAISING  THE  CROP  IN  THE  NORTHWEST. 

BRITISH  COLUMBIA  (Major  R.  M.  Hornby) — Before  going 
into  hop  culture,  the  novice  should  realize  that  it  is 
one  of  the  most  uncertain  of  crops,  that  two  good  crops, 
three  medium  and  two  failures  can  be  reckoned  on  every 
seven  years,  both  as  to  yield  and  value.  Only  the  best  hops 
are  now  wanted.  Such  require  the  best  land,  outfit  and 
methods.  The  cost  of  starting  is  large,  and  for  an  eight-acre 
yard  (yielding  1800  Ibs.  of  cured  hops  per  acre  in  a  favorable 
season)  may  thus  be  estimated. 


EXPENSES   AND   PROFITS.  259 


Hop  kiln,  24x24  ft.,  with  stove  complete $1,250 

Poles,  7  ft.  apart,  820  per  acre,  at  $30  per  1,000 177 

1,640  hop  sets  per  acre,  at  $3  per  1,000 40 

Marking  out  yard  and  planting  sets  at  $5  per  acre 40 

100  hop  boxes  of  15  bu.  capacity 100 

Two  double-acting  spray  pumps,  with  barrels  and  sleigh 50 

Hop  press 165 

Total  first  cost $1,822 

The  annual  charges  include  interest  and  15  per  cent, 
depreciation  en  the  above  items  of  first  cost,  together  aggre- 
gating $325  a  year.  Good  hop  land  is  worth  at  least  $100  an 
acre,  and  interest  and  :axes  may  be  added  to  the  following 
figures.  No  insurance  is  included  because  the  rate  is  too 
high,  and  proper  care  is  cheaper  than  to.  pay  insurance. 
Neither  do  we  use  manure  on  our  rich  lands,  on  the  Pacific 
coast,  which  saves  a  large  item  that  eastern  and  foreign 
hop  growers  have  to  pay,  and  their  yield  per  acre  under 
favorable  conditions  is  not  as  large  as  ours.  When  yard 
forms  part  of  farm,  horses  and  implements  are  not  charged 
to  initial  expenses,  because  they  are  part  of  the  farm  outfit. 
With  this  explanation  we  get  the  following: 

ANNUAL  EXPENSES  ON  EIGHT-ACRE  YARD. 

Depreciation  and  interest $325 

Setting  up  poles  at  $5  per  acre 40 

Credit  the  farm  for  one  man,  two  horses,  with  use  of  imple- 
ments for  all  horse  cultivation  and  work 250 

Tyingsat  $3,  $1  and  50c  per  acre 36 

Spraying  once  $4  (may  be  $12),  say  $7  per  acre 56 

Picking  1,800  Ibs.  per  acre  at  $1  per  box 504 

Curing  and  drying 90 

Baling  by  four  men  two  days  $12,  floor  and  baling  cloth,  string  $30  42 

Cleaning  up  yard  at  $2.50,  hauling  to  depot  $1 27 

Total  annual  expenses $1,370 

Profit  if  all  goes  well 730 

Receipts  for  1,800  Ibs.  per  acre  at  15c  on  eight  acres $2,100 

Sometimes  the  yield  is  larger,  more  often  less.  The 
price  is  oftener  less  than  more.  The  above  makes  an  ex- 
pense of  about  $171  per  acre,  or  about  lOc  per  Ib.  on  a  good, 
full  crop.  But  the  expense  up  to  harvesting  is  the  same, 
whether  the  yield  is  large  or  small,  the  quality  good  or  bad. 
With  the  wide  fluctuations  in  crop  results,  it  is  easy  to  see 
that  cost  per  pound  of  hops  in  the  bale  may  easily  mean  far 
above  lOc  per  Ib.  and  seldom  below  it.  With  market  prices 
ranging  from  5c  to  25c,  the  speculative  nature  of  the  indus- 
try is  apparent,  as  many  have  learned  to  their  sorrow. 


APPENDIX 


^STATISTICS    OF    THE    HOP   TRADE. 
RECEIPTS  OF    DOMESTIC    HOPS  AT   NEW  YORK  (In  bales). 


CROP  OF 

1890. 

1891. 
"5^72 
20,200 
27,386 
24,242 
15,775 
8,954 
5,597 
5,842 
2,239 
964 
1,885 
1,767 

1892. 

1893. 

1894. 

1895. 

18%. 

1897. 

Av. 

September.. 
October  
November.. 
December  .. 
January  ..  .. 
February  .  .  . 
March  .  . 

8,374 
24,809 
23,411 
6,430 
4,778 
4,114 
5,636 
2,697 
2,789 
3,789 
3,320 
2,989 

2,926 
14,376 
19,882 
23,302 
13,819 
5,162 
8,361 
6,316 
6,583 
10,119 
9,628 
8,664 

9,305 
25,399 
31,669 
24,141 
10,595 
7,883 
6,792 
5,418 
5,704 
5,423 
4,629 
4,335 

5,180 
26,466 
32,339 
30,088 
21,236 
12,100 
11,340 
7,051 
8,749 
3,282 
5,361 
3,049 

3,216- 
22,086 
36,015 
22,028 
17,495 
15,257 
13,215 
4,644 
3,179 
3,432 
2,515 
1,348 

2,778 
16,836 
34,712 
13,930 
7,297 
6,565 
2,911 
2,998 
2,039 
2,222 
1,721 
1,440 

3,388 
15,074 
21,190 
30,626 
25,408 
8,125 
5,802 
3,844 
1,569 
2,195 
1,500 
1,952 

5,092 
20,656 
28,325 
21,848 
14,550 
8,145 
7,456 
4,826 
4,106 
3,928 
3,819 
3,193 

April 

May  

June  
July  •  . 

August,  

Tot.  rec'ts. 
Exported  . 

93,136 
22,804 

120,423 
54,619 

129,138 
64,205 

141,293 
74,623 

166,241 
83,749 

144,430 
76,506 

95,449 
51,892 

120,673 
87,165 

126.348 
64,445 

Dom.  use  . 

70,332 

65,804 

64,933 

66,670 

82,492 

67,924 

43,557 

33,508 

61,903 

EXPORTS  OF  HOPS  FROM   THE   PORT  OF  NEW  YORK  (In  bales). 


CROP  OF 

1890. 

1891. 

1892. 

1893. 

1894. 

1895. 

1896. 

1897. 

Av. 

September.. 
October  
November.. 
December  .  . 
January  
February  .  .  . 
March  
April  

2,086 
7,083 
5,540 
1,271 
698 
1,041 
1,405 
218 

3,681 
4,748 
16,393 
18,260 
6,376 
2,124 
1,776 
578 

1,007 
8,653 
7,615 
10,697 
12,497 
2,287 
1,357 
4  176 

4,223 
6,890 
21,217 
14,028 
10,102 
3,867 
2,578 
2  530 

1,218 
7,927 
10,692 
21,970 
13,260 
8,404 
9,183 
4  448 

800 
7,875 
16,390 
19,858 
9,084 
7,973 
9,094 
2351 

513 
8,625 
13,956 
11,326 
5,626 
3,487 
4,956 
856 

3,010 
3,976 
10,754 
23,459 
25,526 
11,372 
4,554 
948 

2,067 
6,972 
12,794 
15,108 
10,396 
5,069 
4,350 
2013 

Mav 

946 

19 

2  377 

2  677 

1  083 

1  380 

357 

785 

1  028 

June  .  .  . 

640 

18 

4  672 

2  7]3 

2  964 

1  319 

947 

1  123 

1  799 

July......... 
August  

1,474 
402 

646 

5,146 
3,721 

2,872 
926 

1,442 
1,158 

237 
145 

844 
399 

962 
716 

1,854 
1.014 

Tot.  N.  Y.. 
Tot.  U.S... 

22,804 
49,000 

54,619 
70,000 

64,205 
64,000 

74,623 
97,000 

83,749 
97,000 

76,506 
93.000 

51,892 
63,000 

87,185 
95,000 

64,448 
78,000 

%  via  N.  Y. 

47 

78 

100 

77 

87 

82i 

82 

91 

85 

AVERAGE  MONTHLY   PRICE  PER  POUND 

In  cents,  of  choice  state  hops  at  New  York  city.    The  periods  are  for 
the  years  inclusive. 


Sept 

Get 

Nov 

Dec 

Jan 

Feb 

Mar 
.235 
.201 
.416 
.175 
.230 
.10 

Apr 

May 

Jun 

July 

Aug 

1874-1896.  .  . 

1874-1878.  .  . 
1879-1883... 
1834-1888.  .  . 
1889-1893.  .  . 
1894-1896.  .  . 

.252 
.254 
.346 
.250 
.251 
.10 

.255 
.251 
.375 
.236 
.249 
.103 

.267 
.252 
.435 
.225 
.247 
.117 

.267 
.245 
.459 
.210 
.241 
.123 

.258 
.236 
.442 
.192 
.248 
.113 

.250 
.224 
.429 
.183 
.248 
.108 

.229 
.187 
.409 
.167 
.235 
.091 

.226 
.186 
.3% 
.164 
.243 
.09 

.216 
.183 
.367 
.170 
.234 
.08 

.21 

.178 
.350 
.178 
.219 
.076 

.202 
.18 
.322 
.181 
.209 
.07 

261 


263 


THE    HOP. 


£  | 
8  I 

«   S 

Si 


~-'T- 
rH  rH  Tj<  C^  (M  01  !N  »H  rl  (M  rl  !M  >H  CO 


02  '  * 

o  Sf 

B  w 

H  ^ 

B  '3 


HCNrHrHr^CNCNOCNrHrHJ^rHC^i-HCOCNCNCNr 


f«  rH  CO  rH  rH  ^  CN  <N 


c<IOOOi<MO5I^OOCOOOODlO5<l(NO5?O 
O  <N  rH  rH  C^  rH  CO  rH  CC  CN  CN  <M  rH         rH  < 


§5rHCOrHrHCOCNc5§G^iSlrHCNCNCNTH-<tlrHC 


OOCOOOOOOOCOGOOOC 


APPENDIX. 


263 


EXPORT  TRADE    IN  AMERICAN   HOPS. 

Showing  exports  of  domestic  hops  from  United  States  each  month 
for  nine  years,  also  imports  and  values.  In  thousands  of  pounds,  last 
three  figures  (OOO's)  omitted.  The  season  1895-6  was  a  period  of  low 
prices  throughout.  Total  exports  were  10,765,000  Ibs.,  imports  2,772,000 
IDS.,  average  export  price  8.8  cents,  import  price  21.6  cents.  Prices  at 
New  York  ranged  at  7  to  I0y2  cents. 


Crop  year. 

1897-8 

1896-7 

1894-5 

1893-4 

1892-3 

1891-2 

1890-1. 

1889-90 

July  

209 

167 

416 

1  113 

15 

268 

151 

55 

*•   275 

116 

346 

635 

141 

127 

510 

37 

September  

568 

194 

260 

1  008 

48 

506 

1  220 

78 

October    
November      .... 

609 
2  354 

1,811 
2  771 

1,412 
2  300 

1,338 
4  108 

1,484 
2  300 

1,260 
2  596 

2,388 
2  552 

1,541 

1  289 

December  

3,734 

2,216 

3  993 

3  691 

2  267 

4  993 

545 

2  686 

January          .   .  . 

5  371 

1  445 

2  831 

1  931 

1  577 

1  966 

496 

860 

February  

1,803 

974 

2  030 

963 

894 

501 

210 

390 

March 

1  387 

996 

1  811 

699 

369 

315 

292 

262 

April  

371 

331 

895 

838 

753 

116 

125 

167 

May 

237 

138 

547 

544 

418 

16 

144 

69 

June  

242 

268 

682 

603 

1  098 

H 

102 

107 

Total  exp's,12  m. 
Total  imp's,  " 
Re-exports,   " 
Net  imports.  " 
Bond  June  30  .  .  . 
Total  val.im'ps. 
Total  val.  exp's. 

17,162 

2,576 
37 
2,539 
25 
$648 
$2,643 

11,425 
3,018 
57 
2,961 
8 
630 
1,305 

17,523 
3,134 
93 
3,041 
154 
600 
1,873 

17,473 
828 
135 
693 
139 
3,844 
484 

11,367 
2,691 
85 
2,605 
168 
2,690 
1,085 

12,605 
2,506 
176 
2,330 
222 
2,421 
884 

8,736 
4,020 
223 
3,797 
280 
2,327 
1,797 

7,541 
6,540 
418 
6,121 
264 
1,111 
1,052 

EXPORT  VALUES  FOR  MONTHS,   IN  CENTS  PER  POUND. 


August  

10.1 

63 

135 

232 

22.6 

22.8 

18.2 

18.8 

September  
October  . 

11.4 
155 

8.0 
8  6 

11.5 
90 

25.2 
21  2 

22.9 
24.6 

19.3 
16.9 

28.9 
24.2 

15.3 
13.8 

November  

.15.8 

10.9 

11.6 

23.0 

24.8 

18.0 

27.7 

13.7 

December 

16  4 

14  3 

11  2 

22  4 

24  7 

18.9 

20.7 

11.1 

January  

15  6 

12  5 

10  4 

22.4 

23.4 

18.2 

33.8 

14.5 

F  e  b  ru  ar  y 

16  2 

12  7 

10  5 

21  3 

23  1 

24.1 

36.6 

14.1 

MarcliN  . 

13  9 

10  7 

10  8 

21  2 

23.0 

21.5 

32.1 

19.4 

April  

15.0 

11.2 

8.8 

19.0 

20.8 

26.7 

30.4 

16.7 

May  

13.9 

11.3 

9.6 

18.6 

22.3 

21.1 

33.3 

17.3 

jvme  ... 

148 

9.3 

7.3 

16.5 

22.4 

22.3 

30.3 

20.5 

Average  

13.8 

10.2 

10.6 

21.9 

23.7 

19.2 

28# 

14.7 

Import  val.,  av.  . 

25.1 

20.8 

19.1 

58.4 

40.3 

35.2 

a? 

16.1 

COURSE  OF   PRICES  AT   NEW  YORK  CITY  FOR   CHOICE   STATE   HOPS. 


Sept 

Oct 

Nov 

Dec 

Jan 

Feb 

March... 
April. ... 

May 

June 

July 

Aug 


1897-8      1896-7 


8ifalO 
137^17      ~ 

16  a!8 

17  @18 

18  (a)20 
18  @19 
17  @19 

_@16ilO 
15  ®16|    9  (alO 
12£@14£    9  @10 
llj@12£|  9  (alO 


1894-5 


9  (o42 

10  @13 

11  " 


2£  21 


10  fall 
10  (all 
9  @10 
8  (&10 

8  @  9 
8  (a)  9 
7  @10 


1893-4 


22  @24 

21  (a24 

22  @23 
f@23] 

21^@23' 
18  @21 
18  @19 
16  @18 
14  (a  16 
12  @14 
10  @12 


1892-3 


20  @25 

22f@25 
23  @24 
23  @24 
23  (a)26 

21  @23 
21 


21  @22^ 
21  @22 
21  (a22 


15  (a) 

16  @ 

19  To) 

20  @ 

21  @ 

25  @ 
24  @ 

26  @ 
28  @ 
24  (a) 
24  @ 
24^@ 


1891-2   1890-1 


18123  @28 
17  43  @47 

21  35  (a  47 

22  32  @45 

28  32  (a38 
27  33  @36 

25  28  @31 
32  27  @32 
30  29  @32 

29  30  fa32 

26  22  (a28 
27117  @20 


1889-90 


264 


THE   HOP. 


HOP  CROP    OF   THE  WORLD. 


CROP  OF 

a  1897 

1896 

1895 

1894 

1893 

1892 

1891 

1890 

Germany 
Austria  .. 
France.  .. 
England  . 

Total... 
U.S  
Aggregate 

310 
99 
38 
256 

353 
136 
43 

281 

368 
95 
42 
343 

404 
109 

38 
395 

130 
74 
33 
257 

300 
79 
44 
257 

269 
72 
36 
272 

164 
65 
54 
176 

703 
200 

813 
175 

848 
292 

946 
320 

494 
268 

680 
223 

649 

208 
85T~ 

459 
205 

903 

988 

1140 

1266 

762 

903 

664 

a  American  Agriculturist's  preliminary  estimate.  This  journal  is  an 
accepted  authority  on  America's  hop  crop,  but  It  frankly  admits  that 
this  crop  is  one  of  the  most  difficult  to  report  upon  for  obvious  reasons. 
The  figures  of  eacli  crop  are  subject  to  final  revision  at  the  close 
of  each  year  when  data  are  available  of  the  interior  and  foreign 
movement. 

HOP  CROPS  AND   PRICES. 

This  table  shows,  for  many  years,  the  bales  of  hops  produced  each 
season  in  the  United  States  and  in  Europe  (including  England),  the 
total  constituting  about  95%  of  the  world's  supply.  It  also  gives  the 
number  of  bales  of  each  crop  exported  from  the  United  States,  and 
the  imports  of  foreign  hops  into  the  United  States,  with  average  yearly 
United  States  export  prices  and  Hamburg  import  values. 


In  thousands  of  bales  of  180  Ibs.  net. 

Av.  cts.  per  Ib. 

c  Crop  of 

U.  S. 
crop. 

Europe 
crop. 

Total 
crop. 

U.  S. 
exports 

U.  S. 
imports 

aU.  S. 

6Ham- 
burg. 

1897 

200 

695 

895 

95 

14 

13.8 

1896 

175 

813 

988 

63 

17 

10.2 

1895 

292 

848 

1,140 

93 

15 

8.8 

1894 

320 

946 

1,266 

97 

17 

10.7 

1893 

268 

494 

762 

97 

5 

22.0 

1892 

223 

680 

903 

63 

15 

23.7 

1891 

208 

649 

815 

70 

13 

19.3 

26 

1890 

205 

459 

664 

49 

21 

26.6 

26 

1889 

218 

717 

935 

42 

36 

29.0 

20 

1888 

69 

31 

22.4 

21 

1887 

39 

28 

17.4 

19 

1886 

1 

103 

21.0 

21 

1885 

76 

15 

12.5 

24 

1884 

35 

9 

19.7 

33 

1883 

75 

4 

24.1 

50 

1882 

125 

387 

512 

43 

12 

71.8 

40 

1879 

U5 

379 

474 

54 

26.3 

26 

1874 

110 

428 

538 

17 

41.9 

41 

Av.  '81-90 

193 

746 

939 

H  50.1 

L19 

'85-89 

190 

773 

963 

H20.7 

L19 

'81-85 

196 

720 

916 

H50.1 

L25 

'76-80 

152 

647 

799 

H30.0 

L21 

a  Average  annual  export  value  (in  cents  per  Ib.)  of  hops  shipped 
from  the  United  States.  &  Average  annual  value  (in  cents  per  lb.)of 
all  hops  imported  into  Hamburg,  Germany.  H,  Highest  average  an- 
nual import  value  of  hops  imported  into  Hamburg,  during  the  period 
noted;  L,  lowest,  c  Observe  that  the  year  given  is  that  in  which  the 
crop  was  produced. 

Hops  consumed  per  bbl.  of  beer:  United  States,  1  to  iy4  Ibs.;  Eng- 
land, IVa  to  2V2  Ibs.  jGermany  and  elsewhere,  %  to  !%•  A  barrel  of  beer, 
U.  S.,  contains  32  imperial  gallons,  or  31  gallons  net. 

Gross  weight  of  a  bale  of  hops:  United  States,  185  Ibs.,  legal  tare 
5  Ibs.,  actual  tare  7  to  9  Ibs. ;  foreign  hops  imported  into  United  States, 
350  to  600  Ibs.  per  bale,  averaging  430  Ibs.,  with  a  tare  of  14  Ibs. 


APPEKDIX. 


265 


ACREAGE  IN  HOPS  (so  far  as  ascertainable). 


1897 

1896 

1895 

1894 

1893 

1892 

1891 

1890 

England  
France  

50,863 
6,122 
98,767 
35,108 

54,207 
6,428 
101,709 
36,431 

58,940 
7,939 
103,923 
39,765 

59,535 
7,264 
104,241 

38,048 

57,564 
6,921 
103,901 
37,626 

56,259 

6,728 
107,282 
36,857 

56,142 
6,592 
107,791 
36,679 

53,961 
6,968 
110,681 

38,708 

Austria... 

Total  Europe.  .  . 

190,860 

198,785 

z  10  ,567 

209,088 

206,012 

207,126  207,204 

210,318 

Washington  

19,73^ 
3,000 
9,000 
6,000 

22,190 
4,500 
12,000 
7,200 

26,238 
5,700 
16,500 
8,500 

307177 
10,000 
15,000 

8,600 
"  63,777 

9|000 
10,000 
8,000 

33,100 
8,000 
6,000 
7,000 

64,600 
6,101 
3,900 
5,340 

35,000 
4,338 
2,620 
4,015 

Oregon 

California  

Total  United  SIS 
World's  aggregate. 

37,735 

45,890 

56,938 

59,300 

54,  100  1  49,941 

45,973 

228,595 

244,6  <6|  267  ,505  J272,865 

265,312  1  261  ,226|  257,145 

2567291 

Yield  per  acre  kiln-cured  packed  hops  :  Europe,  400  to  750  Ibs.  say 
500  Ibs.  in  good  year;  England,  905  Ibs.  in  '97,  936  Ibs.  in  '94  and  888  Ibs. 
as  the  official  average  for  the  years  1886-95;  New  York,  400  to  1,200  Ibs 
say  900  Ibs. ;  Pacific  coast,  600  to  2,000  Ibs.,  say  1,200  as  a  fair  average  in 
a  good  year.  Germany's  ten-year  average  is  510  Ibs.  per  acre,  largest 
crop  averaged  730  Ibs.  per  acre  in  1894,  lowest  260  Ibs.  per  acre  in  1893. 

COMPARATIVE  RANK  OF  UNITED  STATES   HOP  SECTIONS,   ACCORD- 
ING TO  THE  CENSUS  OF  1890. 


Rank. 

Counties. 

State. 

Acres. 

Total  crop. 
Lbs. 

Per  acre. 

Lbs. 

1 

Otsego 

New  York 

7,749 

4,698,687 

606 

o 

Madison 

New  York 

6,956 

4,094,440 

589 

0 

Oneida 

New  York 

6,002 

3,704.341 

617 

4 

Pierce 

Washington 

2,191 

3.699,671 

1,689 

5 

King 

Washington 

1,768 

3,238,075 

1,831 

6 

Schoharie 

Xew  York 

5,563 

3,148,885 

566 

7 

Sacramento 

California 

963 

2,134,606 

2,217 

8 

Sonoma 

California 

1,046 

1,263610 

1,208 

9 

Marion 

Oregon 

974 

1,169,657 

1,201 

10 

Franklin 

Vew  York 

2,930 

1,106,123 

378 

UNITED  STATES  CENSUS  OF  HOP  CROPS  IN  POUNDS. 


1890. 

1880. 

1870. 

1860. 

1850. 

New  York  ... 
Washington. 
California  ..  . 
Oregon  
Wisconsin.  .. 
Other  

20,063,029 
8,313,280 
6,547,338 
3,613,726 

428,547 
205,350 

21,628,931 
703,277 
1,444,077 
244,371 

1,966,827 
558,895 

17,558,681 
6,962 
625,064 
9,745 
4,630,155 
2,626,062 

9,671,931 
44 
80 
493 
135,587 
1,183.861 

2,536,299 
0 
0 
8 
15,930 
944,792 

Total  

39,171,270 

26,546,378 

25,456,669 

10,991,996 

3,497,029 

UNITED  STATES  CENSUS  OF  ACREAGE  AND  VALUES. 


STATES. 

Acreage. 

Values. 

1890. 

1889. 

1879. 

1890. 

1889. 

New  York  .  .  . 
Washington. 
California.  .. 
Oregon 

35,552 

5,282 
3,796 
3,223 

871 
238 

36,670 
5,113 
3,974 
3,130 
967 
358 

39,072 
534 
.1,119 
304 
4,439 
332 

$6,068,163 
2,284,955 
1,521,847 
1,047,224 
142,198 
41,037 

$2,210,137 
841,206 
605,842 
322,700 
51.983 
27,829 

Wisconsin.  .. 
Other  states. 
U.S  

48,962 

50,212 

46,800 

$11,105,424 

$4,059,697 

266 


THE    HOP. 


GERMANY'S     FOREIGN     TRADE      IN 
HOPS. 

In  bales,  180  pounds  net. 


Crop  of  Exp'rts 


1896 
1895 
1894 
1893 

1892 
1891 
1890 

1889 
1888 
1887 
1886 
1885 
1884 
1883 
Av. 


111,495 
135,613 
41,746 
118,516 
118,020 
124,778 
208,999 
127,100 
144,197 
226,010 
167,880 
159,322 
93,497 
21,864 


1-29,327 


[mp'rts. 


39,103 
22,647 
50,615 
20,803 
24,729 
14,970 
22,747 
13,095 
15,153 
13,975 
19,439 
13,646 
19,445 
7,258 


Net  exp' 


72,392 

112,922 

a  38,869 

97,713 

93,219 

109,808 

186,252 

114,005 

124,044 

212,035 

148,441 

145,676 

74,052 

14,606 


19,656        109,993 


a  Net  import. 

GREAT  BRITAIN'S  IMPORTS  OF  HOPS 
BY    YEARS.     (BALES.) 


Cal 

yr- 

1896 
1895 
1894 
1893 
1892 
1891 
1890 
1889 
1888 


From 
U.    S. 


76 
95 
68 
88 
50 
50 
45 
48 


Value 
U.  S. 


14c 
15c 
20c 
26c 
24c 
23c 
22c 
15c 
lie 


Value 
Other. 


12c 
13c 
18c 
24c 
22c 
22c 
20c 
15c 
16c 


Exp't 

value. 


14e 
16c 
21c 
30c 
31c 
35c 
35c 
21c 


IMPORTS,      EXPORTS      AND      TOTAL 
SUPPLY   IN  GREAT  BRITAIN. 

(Thousands  of  bales,  180  Ibs.  net.) 


1897 
1896 
1895 
1894 
1893 
1892 
1891 
1890 
Av'90-5 
1889 


Ex- 

p'ls, 


Ini- 
p'ts. 

129 
135 
118 
127 
117 
122 
117 
123 
124 


Net 
Im't. 

122 
127 
105 
116 
110 
116 
109 
114 
113 


Eng'h 
crop. 


256 
257 
344 
396 
258 
257 
272 
177 
284 


Tot, 
sup'y 

380 
471 

501 
374 
367 

388 
286 
398 


FOREIGN     TRADE,      SUPPLY 
AND    CONSUMPTION,  a 


Crop 

of 


Ex- 

p'ls. 

~~63~ 
93 
97 
97 
63 
70 
49 


Net    I  1m- 
sup'ly  p?ts. 


1896 
1895 
1894 
18.13 
1892 
1891 
1890 


«.    —  -  - ops 

.1  bbl.  of  beer,    a  In  thousands  of 
bales. 
ENGLISH  HOP  CROPS  COMPARED. 


112 
199 
223 
171 
170 
138 
143 


rot;  11 
aup'ly 

Con*. 

129 
214 
240 
176 
175 
151 
164 

177 
184 
184 
171 
178 
164 
157 

Crop 
of 


1897 
1896 
1895 
1894 


In  thousands 
bales,   180    Ibs. 


Ken  i 


153 
199 
197 
264 


Olh 
103 
83 
147 
132 


Tot 


256 
282 
344 
396 


Av.  yearly 

prices, 
ots.  per  Ib. 


Exp'  t 


16 
14 
16 
21 


Imp't 


15 

12 
13 
20 


Average  import  value  .  in   1893 
was  26c  per  Ib. ;    '92,  24c;    '91,   23c; 
'90,    22c;    '89,    15c ;    and    in    1888    it 
was   17c. 
HALF-YEAR'S        FOREIGN        TRADE, 

JAN.  1  TO  JULY  1,   IN   BALES. 


Great  Britain 


Imports 

Exports 

Net.  Imp'ts. 
United  States 

Exports 

Imports 

Net  exp'ls. . 


1897 


35,206 
3,497 
31,709 

21,554 
8,126 
13,428 


1896 


62,404 
3,016 

59,388 


1895 
"65/170 
3,450 
62,324 


42,237  48,881 
8,507  6,157 
33,730  42,734 


U.    S.     HOP    CROPS     COMPARED, 
lu  thousands  bales  of  180  Ibs.  net.] 


Crop 
of 


1897 
1896 
1895 
1894 
1893 
1892 
1891 
1890 


Paci'c 
coast. 


135 
100 
182 
180 
143 
105 
94 
92 


N.  Y. 


75 
110 
140 
125 
118 
114 
100 


Total 
U.  S. 


200 
175 
292 
320 
268 
223 
208 
192 


Av.  exp. 
value  Ib. 
~15.4  c 

10.2  C 
8.8  c 

10.7  c 
22.0  c 
23.7  C 

19.3  c 
26.6  C 


A  ten-year  statement  (1883-'92)  shows  Germany's  imports  to  have 
come,  on  the  average,  from  Austria  90%,  from  Belgium  3%,  from 
France  1%,  from  Russia  2%,  from  other  countries  4%.  Germany's 
exports  during  the  period  noted  averaged:  To  Austria  6%,  to  Russia 
2%,  to  England  6%,  to  France  13%,  to  Belgium  11%,  to  Sweden  2%,  to 
the  United  States  (average  for  1887-'92)  8%,  to  other  countries  24%. 
Germany's  exports  to  the  United  States  ranged  from  7,500  cwt.  (of  110 
Ibs)  in  1887  to  46,000  cwt.  in  the  trade  year  ended  Aug.  31, 1890. 


APPENDIX. 


267 


WORLD'S  PRODUCTION  AND  CONSUMPTION  OF  HOPS 

For  1884-'86,  from  the  Deutschen  ffopfenbau  Verein,  which    pave  it  up  in 
1889  as  unreliable.    From  1887-'96,  from  the  Vienna  Brewers'  Journal. 
[In  metric  hundredweight  of  110  Ibs.] 


World's 
consumpt'n. 

World's 
production. 

World's 
cpnsumpt'n. 

World's 
production. 

1884 

1  604  400 

1893 

1  669  791 

1  481  300 

1885 
1886 
1887 

1,549,000 
1,655.000 
1,  698,021} 

1,888,550 
1,846,810 
1,607,000 

1894 
1895 
1896 

1,725,762 
1,744,439 
1,923,756 

2,205,510 
2,012,155 
1,994,370 

1888 
1889 
1890 
1891 
1892 

1,615,000 
1,606,486 
1,546,915 
1,566,642 
1,592,311 

1,569,200 
1,967,250 
1,096,000 
1,456,440 
1,527,715 

Tollcwt 
Av. 

A  v  bales 
180  Ibs 

19,893,128 
1,657,760 

1,013,075 

22,256,700 
1,712,054 

1  ,046,255 

BEER  PRODUCTION. 

United  States  data  are  official.    Returns  for  the  world  are  from 

Brewers'  Journal,  Vienna. 
[In  millions  of  barrels  of  31  gallons.] 


YEAR. 

U.  S. 

World. 

YEAH. 

U.  S. 

World. 

1865  
1870 

4 

7 



1891  
1892  

30 

32 

167 
172 

1880  

13 

1893  

35 

173 

1885 

19 

L894  

33 

175 

1887  

23 

147 

1895  

33 

179 

1888 

25 

145 

1896  

35 

197 

1889  

25 

148 

1897  

34 

200 

1890  

28 

166 

RELATIVE  CONSUMPTION  OF  BEERS  AND  OTHER  LIQUORS. 


\ft    fur     Brauerei,    Berlin,  1896,       esti- 
in   France,  Germany,  Switzerland  and 


E.   Struve,     in      Wochenschrift 

mates  that  the  wine  consumed  in  ,  _..„,_ 

Belgium  contains  6%  of  alcohol,  against  7%  in  Austria,  Holland, 
Denmark,  Sweden  and  Norway,  and  8%  in  Great  Britain,  Russia  and. 
the  United  States.  For  the  beer  consumed  an  average  proportion  of 
4%  alcohol  was  adopted,  and  for  spirituous  liquors  33.3%.  The  table  is 
based  on  official  returns  and  shows  the  annual  consumption  per 
capita  for  1895. 

In  liters  (1  liter  equals  2.113  pints  U.  S.,  or  just  about  1  quart). 


COUNTRY. 

Wine. 

Beer. 

Spirits 

Alcohol  consumption. 

Wine. 

Beer. 

Spirits 

Total. 

Belgium  
France.  .. 

3.7 
103.0 
1.0 
5.7 
1.7 
55.0 
22.1 
2.6 
3.3 
1.0 
1.8 
0.4 

169.2 
22.4 
33.3 
106.8 
145.0 
37.5 
35.0 
29.0 
4.7 
15.3 
47.0 
11.0 

14.1 
12.4 
26.7 
13.2 
8.4 
9.3 
12.4 
14.1 
14.1 
12.0 
7.7 
4.8 

0.22 
6.18 
0.07 
0.34 
0.13 
3.30 
1.54 
0.18 
0.26 
0.07 
0.14 
0.03 

6.76 
0.90 
1.33 
4.27 
5.80 
1.50 
1.40 
1.16 
0.19 
0.61 
1.88 
0-44 

4.7 
4.04 
8.9 
4.4 
2.8 
3.1 
4.15 
4.7 
4.7 
4.0 
2.58 
1.6 

11.68 
11.12 
10.30 
9.01 
8.73 
7.90 
7.09 
6.14 
5.15 
4.68 
4.60 
2.07 

J)en  mark  

Germany  

Great  Britain  
Switzerland  
Austria-Hungary. 
Holland  . 

Russia  
Norway 

United  States.... 
Sweden  

BELGIUM  HOP  TRADE,   1890. 


Lbs. 

Value. 

Exports          ..   

12,111,228 

$2,443,546 

Imports  

10,586,895 

2,533,636 

Net  exports  

1,524,333 

268  THE   HOP. 


QUOTATIONS  ON  HOPS 

In  America,  are  in  cents  perlb.  avoirdupois.  In  England,  are  in 
pounds  and  shillings  per  cwt.  of  112  Ibs.  In  Germany,  are  in  marks 
per  metric  cwt.  of  110  Jbs.  Reckoning  one  mark  as  equal  to  23.8c,  and 
£1  (one  pound  sterling)  at  $4.86,  the  following  tables  show  the  equiv- 
alent of  foreign  quotations  in  U.  S.  currency  per  Ib. 

German  Marks  per  110  Ibs.  equal  U.  S.  cents  per  Ib. 

5M=1.08c  35Mrr7.59c  50  MzrlO.Slc  80  M=17.30c 

10M=2.16c  38Mz=8.22c  54  M=11.68c  90  M=19.47c 

20  JNl=4.32c  40  M=i8.65c  60  M=12.98o  95  M=20.55c 

25  M=5.40c  42  M=9.08c  68  M=14.70c  100  M=21.63c 

3J  M=6.49c  45  M=9.73c  70  M=15.14c 

English  pounds  and  shillings  per  112  Ibs.  equal  U.  S.  cents  per  Ib. 
1£      =4.33c  1£   8s=5.59c  1£  18srr  8.18c  5£=21.65c 

1£  Is=r4.54c  1£  10s— 6.49C  2£        =  8.66c  6£=25.98c 

1£  2s=4.75c  1£  12s=6.90c  3£        rr!2.99c  7£=30.31e 

1£  3si=4.91c  1£  14s=7.33c  4£        =17.32c  8£=34.G4c 

1£  5s=5.40c  1£  15si=7.57c 

THE  GERMAN  HOP  GROWERS'  ASSOCIATION 

Is  quite  an  effective  institution,  under  the  presidency  of  Herr  Von 
Soden  with  Mr.  A.  Fairth  as  vice  president.  Its  prime  object  is  the 
obtaining  of  crop  reports  from  its  branch  associations  and  local 
members,  as  well  as  the  dissemination  of  information  of  general 
interest  to  planters.  Its  official  organ  is  Deutschen  Hopfenbau-Verein, 
edited  by  Mr.  Fairth,  to  whom  we  are  indebted  for  numerous  courte- 
sies The  branch  organizations  of  this  association,  with  the  director 
of  each  and  his  post-office  address,  are  as  follows  : 

BAVARlA--Spalt  and  Spalterland,  director  Landrath  Herkensch lager, 
Hauslach  bei  Georgenogmund  ;  Hersbruckerland,  director  T.  von 
Soden,  Vorra;  Neustadt,  director  Steward  Sorg,  Newstadt  on  the 
A;  Oberbayern,  director  Mayor  of  Aichbichlerland  and  Delegate 
Imperial  Diet,  Wolnzach;  Niederbayern,  director  G.  Zieglmeier, 
Katzenhofen  ;  Kinding,  director  Burgomaster  Zaigler,  Kinding. 
WUKTEMBEKG —  Neckar,  director  Verwalter  Distlen,  Flemmingen; 
Schwarzwalkdkreis,  director  City  Counsel  Edelmann,  Rotten- 
burg  on  N;  Donankreis,  director  Delegate  of  Diet  Bueble, 
Tettnang. 

BADEN— Director  Burgomaster  Mechling,  Schwetzinger. 
EAST  AND  WEST  PRUSSiA—Director  Wiepkingin,  Tathannen. 

The  bulk  of  the  trade  in  hops  in  Germany  is  concentrated  at  Nu- 
remberg, but  every  large  town  has  trade  chambers,  at  which  there  is 
some  buying  of  hops. 

The  principal  market  places  for  Austrian  hops  are  Saaz,  Auscha 
and  .Danba.  In  Alsace,  Hagnen an  is  the  most  important  hop  center; 
Frankfort-on-the-Main,  Mayence-Mannheim  are  also  important  cen- 
ters of  great  hop  dealers,  but  not  for  the  sale  of  hops  by  growers.  For 
Baden,  the  hop  center  is  Schwetzinger.  In  Belgium,  Alost  and  Poper- 
inghe  are  the  chief  centers,  but  the  dealers  also  meet  regularly  at  the 
exchanges  in  Brussels  and  Antwerp,  where  large  transactions  are  con- 
ducted. In  France  the  most  important  hop  markets  are  Dijon  and 
Luneville. 


THE  HOP  DICTIONARY 

Glossary  of  Technical  Terms  Pertaining  to  Hops 

and  the  Hop  Trade,  Including  Hints  on 

Curing  and  Other  Practical  Points 


K.  K.  WALTKR 

GROWERS  who  have  not  good  equipment  (facilities  in  one 
locality  may  not  suffice  in  another)  and  cannot  get  an  experi- 
enced and  good  dryer,  should  never  contract  their  hops  because 

CURING  is  difficult:  the  variety,  nature,  development  of  the 
hop,  and  climatic  and  weather  conditions  playing  an  important 
part.  Each  season  they  may  differ,  and  often  each  day,  and 
even  picking  (morning  and  afternoon)  must  be  differently  ma- 
nipulated. Proper  knowledge  of  drying  takes  years  to  acquire 
and  cannot  be  learned  in  several  seasons. 

HARVESTING,  HANDLING,  CONDITION— Hops  should  be 
well  cultivated  and  cared  for,  be  of  good,  bright,  even  color,  well 
matured  but  not  over-ripe,  cleanly  picked  and  properly  cured; 
put  up  in  sound  condition  and  merchantable  shape,  in  new  mate- 
rial and  in  correct  and  uniform  bales. 

CONTRACTS  call  for  choice  goods,  unless  distinctly  other- 
wise specified;  that  is,  an  excellent  article  and  only  the  best 
grade.  Usage  has  established  that  all  contracts— purchases  and 
sales— are  made  "severally  as  to  bales,"  and  there  is  no  averag- 
ing to  grade  or  sample,  each  bale  stands  on  its  own  merits. 
There  is  no  averaging  to  a  grade  or  sample,  because  buyers 
often  have  absolutely  no  outlet  for  anything  below  the  standard 
bought  on,  and  further,  that  below  certain  grades  there  is  often 
positively  no  market,  and  it  is  therefore  impossible  at  times  to 
estimate  the  value  of  inferior  goods. 

INSPECTION— Buyer  has  the  right  of  accepting  each  and 
every  bale  equal  to  purchase,  and  the  privilege  of  rejecting  all 
that  class  below.  Changes  in  quality,  due  to  difference  in  bulk, 
wrapping,  storage  and  general  outward  surroundings  and  con- 
ditions, may  take  place  in  a  few  hours,  and  therefore  samples 
may  not  represent  the  distinct  bales  from  which  they  were 
taken.  Example:  A  sample  taken  from  hops,  newly  baled  In 
slack  condition,  wrapped  in  paper  and  mailed,  might  dry  out, 
and  reach  intending  purchaser  entirely  changed,  whereas  a  re- 
drawn (a  fresh  sample)  or  a  tryer  sample,  from  the  same  bale, 
would  show  such  slackness  and  would  therefore  be  reason  to 
reject.  In  other  words,  the  identical  bale,  the  original  sample 
from  which  reached  the  buyer  wHh  every  indication  of  sound- 
ness, would,  due  to  large  bulk,  depending  upon  storage  condi- 
tions largely,  either  heat  or  sour. 

For  the  reason  cited  in  foregoing  example  and  other  changes 
that  might  occur,  it  is  an  accepted  fact  that  samples,  as  a  rule, 
are  unreliable  as  an  indication  of  the  condition  (and  therefore 

269 


270  THE   HOP. 

quality)  of  a  hop  in  bale,  except  at  the  time  they  are  drawn. 
Changes  often  take  place  so  quickly,  as  already  explained,  that 
samples  are  often  useless  as  a  guide  a  few  days,  and  even  at 
times  a  few  hours,  after  they  are  taken. 

JUDGMENT— The  reason  that  the  inspection  by  buyer,  or  his 
expert  agent,  is,  through  usage,  accepted  as  final,  is  because 
there  must  be  some  experienced  judge  to  determine  whether  the 
hops  are  up  to  requirements  and  in  sound  and  proper  condition, 
and  the  buyer,  after  acceptance,  assumes  all  risks  in  changes 
that  may  take  place  in  storage  and  transit,  while  seller  is 
relieved  from  all  responsibility  after  he  has  delivered. 

Experts,  through  varied  experience,  can  tell  the  merits  and 
defects  of  a  hop,  and  may  be  able  to  attribute  the  cause  of 
shortcomings,  though  they  are  rarely  hop  dryers. 

DISEASE  or  VERMIN,  SPRAYING  and  WEATHER  DAM- 
AGE are  always  good  causes  for  rejection  under  contracts. 

STORAGE— Hops,  being  delicate  and  sensitive,  should  have 
clean,  good,  cool,  dry  and  dark  storage — removed  from  moisture 
and  away  from  anything  that  emits  a  decided  or  strong  odor. 

WEIGHTS— Only  full  pounds  count  on  each  bale.  Hops  lose 
in  weight,  with  age. 

GRADING— In  the  trade  there  are  four  divisions  made  in 
quality:  First,  choice;  second,  prime;  third,  medium,  and  fourth, 
common  to  poor. 

QUALITY  AND  CLASSIFICATION  DO  NOT  CHANGE, 
BUT  COMPARATIVE  VALUES  DO— Examples:  A  hop  grading 
prime  remains  a  prime  hop,  although  in  an  excited  market  it 
may  command  the  same  price  as  choice,  whereas,  in  a  weak 
market,  it  is  rarely  worth  more  than  medium.  In  years  of 
world's  shortage,  common  and  poor  bring  as  much  as  medium. 
In  such  seasons,  there  are  really  only  two  distinctions  in  the 
price  of  brewing  hops,  choice  and  prime  commanding  about  the 
same  figure,  while  there  is  little  if  any  difference  between  me- 
dium, common  and  poor.  In  years  of  overproduction,  choice 
only  command  top  price,  prime  less,  and  medium  sink  to  the 
lowest  valuation;  it  is  difficult  to  get  a  price  even  on  mediums, 
when,  of  course,  common  and  poor  are  practically  valueless. 
Summing  up:  Supply  and  demand  regulate  values,  but  do  not 
alter  quality. 

HOP  LAW  is  principally  "Law  Merchant."  Most  terms  and 
expressions  in  the  hop  business  are  purely  technical.  Rulings 
a.nd  decisions  governing  quality,  condition,  samples,  inspection, 
etc.,  in  cases  covering  other  kinds  of  crops,  will  not  necessarily 
apply  to  hops,  because  of  their  very  nature,  which  is  so  different 
and  distinct  from  other  products.  The  customs  controlling  the 
tender,  delivery,  inspection,  rejection,  replacing  and  acceptance, 
are  well  established,  and  therefore  controlled  by  trade  usages, 
that  is  "Law  Merchant/' 

THE  HOP  GLOSSARY 

ACRE— A  hop  acre  is  sometimes  figured,  regardless  of  land 
surface,  at  1000  hills,  or  plant  centers,  as  an  acre,  but  unless  so 
qualified  means  statute  acre. 

AGING— Becoming  old;  or  taking  on  the  properties  of  former 
years'  growths.  Losing  in  brewing  virtue. 

AIRING— Permitting  a  free  circulation  of  air  between  the 
bales  or  through  the  hops.  When  found  slackish,  the  bales  are 
separated  "on  end,"  to  retard  damage  that  would  be  promoted 
by  close  piling.  The  bales  are  sometimes  opened  at  the  side 
seams,  and  the  hops  loosened  and  holes  made  through  them,  to 
permit  access  of  air,  thus  to  prevent  or  arrest  heating.  Often 
the  bales  are  torn  apart  and  the  hops  opened  out  and  spread  on 
the  cooling  and  kiln  floors,  to  permit  free  exposure  to  the  air. 
These  should  really  be  subjected  to  re-drying.  Hops  that  require 
airing  are  generally  sour,  and  therefore  poor.  The  injury  to 


APPENDIX.  271 


value  naturally  depends  upon  the  degree  of  resultant  damage 
to  quality  and  market  conditions. 

ALL  FAULTS— The  English  term  for  "as  is." 

AS  IS— Without  privilege  of  rejection.  A  condition  at  times 
imposed  on  sales  of  lots  containing  damaged  hops,  or  including 
injured  and  unmerchantable  bales  or  a  mixed  lot. 

BABY  BALE— A  single,  small,  "lightweight"  in  an  other- 
wise standard  weight  lot. 

BABY   HOPS— See  young  hops. 

BAD   COLOR— See   off   color. 

BAKED— Harsh  and  rough,  with  brewing  quality  damaged 
through  improper  ventilation  and  circulation  of  air  in  kilns  dur- 
ing drying  process. 

BALES— The  packages  of  hops  as  they  are  marketed.  These 
must  be  of  regulation  shape  and  requirements.  See  baling;  also 
weight. 

BALING  AND  DIMENSIONS— Size  varies  somewhat, 
but  the  hop  presses  generally  in  use  are  the  recognized  stand- 
ards. The  baling  must  be  properly  done,  neat  and  clean,  with 
new  material  and  well  sewed.  See  weight. 

BALINGS— See  pickings, 

BASKETS— Small  baskets  used  in  gathering  hops. 

BATCH — A  single  kiln  flooring  of  hops. 

BERRY  OR  STROBILE— The  hop.  The  catkins.  Infrequently 
called  buds  (not  burrs). 

BIN— The  cooling  room,  or  the  divisions  of  a  cooling  room, 
which  is  sometimes  partitioned  off  into  compartments,  to  keep 
qualities  (pickings,  color  and  curings)  separate  for  proper  bal- 
ing. A  name  also  given  to  a  burlap  bottomed  framework  into 
which  green  hops  are  picked. 

BINSMAN— In  England,  the  person  in  charge  of  a  gang,  who 
also  pulls  poles  and  assists  measuring  and  loading  wagons.  See 
field  boss;  also  nolciran. 

BLACK--A  name   sometimes  given   to  heated   hops. 

BLEACHING— The  sulphuring.  The  term  bleached  is  applied 
to  hops  that  are  naturally  whitish,  or  those  that  have  lost  too 
much  color  from  improper  sulphuring.  See  sulphuring. 

BLIGHTED— Diseased. 

BOLD— Rather  large  and  prominently  flaky  hops,  that  are 
serviceable  but  not  silky. 

BOARDS— A  term  used  in  England  for  the  shelves  or  tables 
on  which  the  hop  samples  are  shown. 

BOARDY— Hops  hard  pressed  and  wanting  in  life;  not 
springy  in  bale. 

BOOKER— In  England,  the  person  who  follows  the  measurer 
and  enters  proper  credits  or  gives  tickets  to  each  picker  for 
work  done. 

BOXES— Boxes  in  wrhich  the  picked  hops  are  taken  to  the 
kilns. 

BOX  MAN-See  foreman. 

BRACTS— See  petals. 

BREAD Y— The  aroma  of  warm,  newly  baked  bread.  An 
indication  of  over-drying.  See  over-drying. 

BRIGHT— Brilliant  and  even  in  color. 

BROKEN— The  berries  parted,  the  petals  largely  loose  and 
showing  few  whole  berries,  resulting  from  too  much  drying, 
untimely  or  improper  baling.  See  al~o  hard  pressed;  also  shelly, 
powdered  and  chaffy. 

BUDDING— A  reprehensible  method  of  throwing  selected 
whole  berries  on  the  fare  of  samples. 

BUDS— See  catkins;   also  berry. 

BULK  SAMPLES— A  big  representative  line  of  samples 
from  a  lot. 

BURNT— See  roasted. 

BURR— The  burr  or  real  bud— the  undeveloped  hop  in  its 
early  stages  of  formation,  before  the  petals  form. 


272  THE  HOP 


BUTTERY-See  oily. 

BUTTONY-Full  berried.    See  flaky. 

BUYING  AND  SELLING— The  purchase  and  sale  of  hops, 
which  is  always  according  to  grade  or  sample.  Unless  otherwise 
distinctly  agreed,  the  transactions  are  subject  to  usual  customs. 

CABBAGY— The  cut  edge  of  a  sample  resembling  a  cut  sec- 
tion of  a  cabbage.  Also  called  streaky. 

CAKED— Brick-like,  lumpy  (the  berries  sticking  together  in 
bale  and  lifeless).  Indicates  slackness.  See  also  cold. 

CARLOAD— Unless  otherwise  qualified,  means  sixty  regula- 
tion bales.  See  bales,  baling,  weights. 

CARPELS— See  petals. 

CARPET— See  kiln  cloth. 

CASING  Cor  going  through  case  in  curing)— This  is  a  reac- 
tionary sweating  that  takes  place  in  the  cooling  room,  promot- 
ing mellowness  or  silkiness,  sometimes  named  the  "second 
sweat,"  calling  the  "reek"  the  first  sweat. 

CATKINS  OR  BUDS— See  berry;  for  buds,  see  also  burr. 

CHAFFY— Broken  and  brittle,  powdery;   also  called  mashy. 

CHEESY— The  name  sometimes  given  to  the  rancid  odor  of 
hops  that  are  aging.  See  aging. 

CHIPPY— See  cold;  also  harsh. 

CHOICE  HOP— One  that  shows  the  entire  bale  to  be  of 
a  good,  bright,  even  color,  flaky  (whole  berries),  cleanly  picked, 
silky,  rich  in  lupulin,  good  flavor  and  properly  cured  and  baled. 
See  quality. 

CLAMMY— A  cold,  moist,  sticky  condition,  indicating  slack- 
ness. See  slack. 

CLASSIFY— To  grade  samples.    See  grading. 

CLEAN— Refers  to  picking.  Free  of  leaves  and  stems  and  all 
foreign  matter.  Properly  picked. 

CLOTH— See  hop  cloth;  also  kiln  cloth. 

COARSE— Full  berries,  wanting  in  silkiness. 

COLD— Clammy,  slackish  and  usually  immature.  Also  applied 
to  a  hop  that  has  soured.  If  the  hops  do  not  heat,  but  simply 
sour  in  bale,  then  the  berries  will  be  hard  and  slightly  caked, 
or  what  may  be  termed  chippy.  See  souring. 

COMMON  HOP— One  that  shows  either  flaky  berries,  or, 
if  broken  (not  powdered),  fair  brewing  quality.  It  may  be 
somewhat  poor  in  color  and  general  conditions,  but  must  be 
sound  and  put  up  properly.  See  quality. 

COMPLEXION— Color  and  s'ghtliriess,  particularly  as  to 
luster. 

CONDITION— The  name  sometimes  given  to  lupulin.  Brew- 
ing virtue.  Further,  it  refers  to  curing  and  marketable  manner 
of  baling. 

CONES— The  hops.     See  berry. 

CONTRACTING— The  engaging  ahead  of  production.  The 
selling  and  buying  of  "future"  crops.  See  buying  and  selling. 

COOKED— See  stewed. 

COOLING  ROOM— The  room  or  building  in  which  the  hops, 
after  being  taken  from  the  kilns,  undergo  the  completion  of  the 
curing  process. 

COPPER  HOPS— Hops  for  the  brewing  kettles.  Generally 
applied  to  those  hops  used  for  joiling,  but  not  particularly 
adapted  to  flavoring  in  the  vats,  or  for  hopping. 

CORE  OR  HOP  STEM— The  strig.  The  axis  of  the  strobile 
in  contradistinction  to  the  vine  stems.  See  stems. 

CROSS  GRAINED— Diagonally  packed,  through  tramping, 
or  the  "follower"  of  the  press  not  working  evenly.  See  curly. 

CRUSTED— Hardening  of  the  outward  portions  of  the  bale 
next  to  the  cloth,  caused  by  damp  storage,  and  causing  caking, 
discoloring  and  a  musty  flavor. 

CULLS  OR  CULLING— Bales  rejected  upon  inspection. 


APPENDIX.  273 

CURING— The  process  of  drying  hops  on  the  kilns,  together 
with  their  management  in  the  cooling  rooms.  See  drying-  also 
curing  guides,  and  casing. 

CURING  GUIDES— There  are  no  positive  rules  to  regulate 
the  drying  of  hops.  Each  flooring  may  require  different  manip- 
ulation, and  this  requires  stu'dy,  aptitude  and  years  of  practical 
experience,  because  seasons  differ.  The  following  points,  how- 
ever, are  essential.  LOW  HEAT.  GOOD  DRAFTS,  PROPER 
SULPHURING,  and  to  complete  the  curing,  intelligent  manage- 
ment in  the  cooling  room.  See  drying;  also  casing. 

CURLY— Applied  to  a  flaky  hop  when  cross-grained. 

CUT— The  cut  Side  of  a  sample. 

DEAD,  DULL  OR  LEAD  Y— Wanting  in  color,  grayish  and  of 
a  lifeless  character. 

DELICATE— Tender  in  texture  and  of  fine  flavor. 

DIMENSIONS— See  baling. 

DIRTY— Refers  to  picking,  and  is  applied  to  samples  that 
contain  either  or  both  leaves  and  stems.  That  is,  that  the  hops 
were  uncleanly,  not  properly  picked. 

DISEASED— A  choice  hop  must  be  absolutely  sound.  The 
slightest  touch  of  disease  of  any  kind  prevents  a  hop  being 
classed  choice.  Even  to  be  classed  prime,  there  cannot  be  more 
than  the  slightest  trace  of  disease  present.  A  medium  hop  can 
only  contain  very  little  mold;  where  mold  abounds,  the  hop  can- 
not be  better  than  common  and  is  rarely  classed  above  poor.  In 
seasons  where  disease  is  isolated,  and  the  world's  crop  iairly 
abundant,  then  sound  hops  only  are  marketable,  and  those 
unfortunates  in  the  infected  districts  can  claim  no  standing 
for  such  of  their  crop  that  shows  disease.  It  is  worthless  in 
a  commercial  sense,  and  no  buyer  takes  the  product  unless 
bought  on  sample.  See  quality. 

DOUBLE  BALE— The  compression  of  two  bales  into  one 
package.  See  repacking. 

DRIFTS— The  different  blocks  or  portions  of  a  field  of  hops 
allotted  to  separate  sets,  companies,  gang,  division  or  section  of 
pickers. 

DRYER— The  man  who  dries  the  hops,  supposed  to  be  an 
adept  at  curing. 

DRYING— That  portion  of  the  curing  process  that  takes 
place  in  the  kilns. 

DULL— See    dead. 

EARLY  HOPS— Early  varieties,  or  early  ripening  hops. 

EDGE— The  cut  side  of  samples.  Also  those  parts  of  a  bale 
where  any  two  surfaces  meet.  Sometimes  applied  to  the  front 
of  the  bale;  which  is  properly  called  the  face. 

ENDS — Those  parts  of  a  bale  making  top  or  head  surfaces. 

EXAMINATION— The  examining  of  a  lot  of  hops  and  the 
passing  on  samples,  but  this  does  not  constitute  inspection 
unless  each  bale  is  tried.  See  inspection;  also  good  light. 

EXCELLENT  BREWING  HOPS— Prime  hops.  See  quality; 
also  prime. 

EXPERT— One  versed  in  the  quality  ana  act'on  of  hops, 
together  with  the  requirements  and  customs  of  the  trade. 

EXPORT— Fit   for   export   shipment. 

FACE— Surface  of  the  sample:  also  the  long,  narrow  surface 

FACING— The  method  sometimes  employed  of  cleaning  leaves 
and  stems  from  the  face  of  samples. 

FAIR  BREWING  HOPS— Common  hops.     See  quality;   also 

FALSE  PACKED— Layers  of  different  color  or  maturity  in 
one  bale,  or  different  qualities  of  hops  baled  together. 

FANCY   BREWING   HOPS— Choice   hops.    See   quality,   also 

°FAT— The  term  applied  to  such  hops,  during  curing,  in  which 
the  cores  have  not  perceptibly  started  to  dry.  See  also  rich. 


£74  THE   HOP. 

FEATHERY— Fluffy.  Berries  on  the  vine  that  are  not  full 
or  firm,  and  on  which  the  petals  spread. 

FIELD  BOSS— The  overseer  of  the  pickers. 

FIRST    YEAR'S    GROWTH— See    first    year's   planting. 

FIRST  YEAR'S  PLANTING— Also  called  first  year's  growth. 
Sec  young  hops;  also  new. 

FLAKY — Lying  in  layers  of  full,  whole  berries.  Perfect 
strobiles. 

FLAT— Lifeless  and  often  scrubby,  and  at  times  cabbagy. 

FLAVOR— See  good   flavor. 

FLOORING— The  quantity  of  hops  put  on  a  kiln  at  a  single 
drying.  Depths  of  floorings  cannot  be  fixed.  This  depends  upon 
the  nature  of  the  hops,  capacity,  or  rather  efficiency,  of  the 
kilns  and  the  prevailing  atmospheric  conditions.  The  character 
of  the  hops  and  possible  draft  must  govern  quantity. 

FORCED  DRYING— Dried  too  rapidly  at  a  higher  than  nec- 
essary, but  not  scorching  heat;  causing  loss  of  volatile  oils  and 
making  the  hops  harsh.  See  harsh. 

FOREMEN— The  yard  bosses,  paymasters  and  superintend- 
ents of  the  different  work.  These  include  in  the  eastern  states 
the  sacker,  who  empties  the  eight-bushel  boxes  of  green  hops 
each  into  a  separate  sack  and  gives  pay  checks.  On  the  Pacific 
coast  the  box  man  who  supervises  the  picking  and  gives  pay 
tickets.  The  chief  baler  who  is  in  charge  of  the  presses.  See 
also  dryer,  weigher,  field  boss,  measurer  and  booker. 

FOXY— Reddish  brown  from  over-maturity,  disease  or  decay. 

GOING — Occasionally  applied  to  hops  that  are  heating.  See 
heating. 

GOING  OFF— Getting  overripe,  or  beginning  to  show  disease. 
See  shattering. 

GONE— Applied   to  hops  that  have  heated.  See  heating. 

GOOD  BREWING  HOPS— Medium  hops.  See  quality,  also 
medium. 

GOOD  COLOR — A  brilliant  pale  green,  or  a  golden  yellow. 
A  light,  bright,  properly  and  evenly  developed  appearance. 

GOOD  FLAVOR— The  natural  aroma  emitted  from  a  rich 
and  mature,  perfect,  healthy  hop  berry  at  the  time  it  is  taken 
from  the  vine,  after  compression  and  rubb'ng  between  the  fin- 
gers, and  which  flavor  should  permeate  the  fresh  cured  hops. 

GOOD  LIGHT— Hops  must  be  examined  by  da-  <rht;  arti- 
ficial light  will  not  answer.  A  soft,  clear,  steel  light.  A  veiled 
or  slightly  shaded  (not  shadowed)  natural  light,  or  what  might 
be  styled  "an  indirect  sunlight"  is  best.  The  intense  direct  rays 
of  the  sun  are  too  strong.  See  examination;  also  inspection. 

GOOD  QUALITY— See  quality. 

GRADE  AND  VALUE— There  are  four  mercantile  divisions, 
namely,  choice,  prime,  medium  (or  good  brewing)  and  com- 
mon to  poor.  Classification  does  not  change,  but  supply  and 
demand  regulate  relative  values. 

GRADING— Classifying  hops  as  to  quality  and  standard. 

GRAIN— See    cross-grained;    also    curly. 

GROSS  WEIGHT— The  entire  weight  of  bales.     See  we'ghts. 

GUIDES— See  curing  guides. 

GUMMY— Resinous    and    not   thoroughly    cured. 

HARD  PRESSED— Too  heavily  baled.  It  takes  buoyancy, 
or  sponpiness,  from  a  well-cured  hop.  Also  called  hard  baled 
and  heavy  baled,  and  when  over  the  maximum  proper  weight 
range  of  205  pounds  are  called  over-weights,  or  heavy  weights, 
which  latter  term  is  also  often  applied  to  a  lot  of  bales,  the  most 
of  which  run  considerably  over  the  ordinary  average.  See 
weights. 

HARSH— Wanting  in  oily  matter.  Generallv  flaky,  and  the 
berries  stiff,  or  what  could  be  called  chippy.  Usually  the  result 
of  forced  drying. 

HEAD— See  top. 


APPENDIX.  275 


HEATING  AND  HEATED— Spoiled  from  heating.  Rotting  or 
rotted;  usually  due  to  insufficient  drying;  also  possible  from 
becoming  wet  through  absorption  of  a  large  quantity  of  mois- 
ture, from  exposure,  and  subsequent  sweating  with  consequent 
turning  and  rotting.  A  heated  hop  is  worthless. 

HEATED  BERRIES— Berries  heated  before  being  put  on  the 
kilns. 

HEAVY  BALED— See  hard  pressed. 

HEAVY  WEIGHTS— See  hard  pressed. 

HIGH-DRIED— A  degree  of  curing  between  over-dried  and 
over-fired,  which  causes  the  running  of  the  lupulin  and  loss  of 
oily  matter  and  brewing  strength.  High-dried  hops  are  of  a 
chaffy  nature.  *" 

HIGH-FIRED-See  over-firing. 

HOP  CLOTH— The  burlap  covering  for  the  bales.  This  should 
be  24-ounce  cloth,  and  there  must  be  not  more  than  is  neces- 
sary to  properly  cover  the  bales. 

HOPPERS— Hop  pickers;  those  who  pluck  the  hops  from  the 
vines. 

HOPPING— The  occasional  practice  of  putting  a  few  whole 
berries  in  barrels  of  malt  liquor. 

HOPPING  OUT— The  transitory  stage  from  burr  to  cone,  or 
formation  of  the  true  hop. 

HOP  SACKS— The  sacks  in  which  the  hops  are  taken  to  the 
kilns.  The  size  varies  in  different  localities,  but  should  not  be 
made  to  hold  over  80  pounds  green  hops,  which  would  require 
a  sack  about  60  inches  long  by  40  inches  wide.  See  pokes;  also 
under  "foremen." 

HOP  STEMS-See  core. 

HOP  YARD— Hop  garden,  or  field  of  hops. 

IMMATURE— Not  sufficiently  ripe;  indicated  by  green 
appearance  of  berry,  and  pale  color  of  hop  seed  which  when 
fully  ripe  is  dark  purple. 

IN  CASE— See  casing. 

IN  HOP— Fully  contoured  strobiles  in  first  stages  of  develop- 
ment of  hop. 

INSPECTION— The  trying  and  examination  of  every  bale, 
and  the  passing  on  each  bale  separately.  See  examination;  also 
good  light,  and  try;  tryer  samples. 

IN   THE    SWEAT— See   casing-. 

KILN — The  house  in  which  the  hops  are  dried. 

KILN  BOSS— The  man   in  charge  of  the  curing.     See  dryer. 

KILN  CARPET— See  kiln  cloth. 

KILN  CLOTH— The  covering  of  the  kiln  floor,  usually  10- 
ounce  burlap.  Also  called  kiln  carpet. 

LATE  HOPS— Used  in  contradistinction  to  early  hops,  where 
a  grower  has  several  varieties  (including  some  earlies),  or  differ- 
ent fields  that  mature  at  differently  advanced  stages  of  the 
harvest  season. 

LEADY— See  dead. 

LEAVES— The  leaves  of  the  hop  vine. 

LIGHT— See  thin;  also  good  light. 

LIGHT-BALED— See  loose  pressed. 

LIGHT  WEIGHTS— See  loose  pressed. 

LIVELY— See  spongy. 

LOOSE  BALED— See  loose  pressed. 

LOOSE  PRESSED— Not  tightly  enough  baled.  Well-cured 
hops,  put  up  this  way,  and  hops  .that  are  aging,  lose  weight 
quickly.  Also  called  loose  baled  and  light  baled,  and,  when  of 
less  than  proper  minimum  weight  range  of  170  pounds,  are 
styled  light  weights,  a  term  also  applied  to  a  lot  of  bales,  a  good 
many  of  which  run  under  the  customary  average.  See  weights. 

LOT— A  number  of  bales  collectively. 

LUPULIN— The  bitter,  buttery,  globular  secretion  in  the 
hops— their  principal  virtue.  In  its  normal  condition,  in  healthy, 


276  THE   HOP. 


properly  handled,  cured  new  hops,  it  has  its  natural  brilliant 
lemon-yellow  color  and  oily  characteristics. 

MANAGEMENT— The  treatment  of  the  hops.    Curing. 

MASHY— See  chaffy. 

MATURE— The  stage  of  development  proper  for  picking. 
Not  immature  and  not  over-ripe. 

MEASURER — In  English  usage,  the  person  who  measures 
the  green  hops  with  a  bushel  basket  into  the  pokes.  See 
booker. 

MEATY— A   fat,    wholesome,   but  not   delicate   hop. 

MEDIUM  HOP— A  hop  of  good  brewing  quality,  that  may 
not  be  as  even  in  color,  or  may  not  excel  in  distinct  qualifica- 
tions as  the  better  grades,  but  must  be  bright,  fairly  clean, 
safely  cured  and  well  put  up.  See  quality. 

MELLOWNESS— Silkiness.     See  sulphuring;   also  casing. 

MERCHANTABLE— Sound  and  properly  pur  up.  Refers  to 
both  contents  and  covering  of  package,  or  to  tlie  bale  itself. 

MIX — A  disadvisable  habit  some  growers  have  of  blending 
their  growth  in  cooling  room. 

MIXED  LOT— A  lot  containing  bales  of  different  qualities. 

MIXED  COLOR— A  mixture  of  early  and  late  pickings, 
brought  about  by  a  deliberate  and  thorough  mrxing  of  the 
greener  with  the  more  mature  hops.  See  uneven  color;  also  off 
color. 

MIXED  CURING— See  uneven  curing. 

MOTTLED— Mixed  in  color.  Green,  ripe,  and  over-ripe  or 
wind-whipped  berries  baled  together  indiscriminately,  usually 
the  fault  of  uneven  ripening. 

MOVE— Changing  or  tossing  hops  from  one  place  in  cooling 
room  to  another. 

MUDDY— Imperfectly  developed  unsightly  hops  full  of  dirt 
and  sand. 

MUSTY— Foul  odor.  Fustiness. 

NET  WEIGHT— The  weight  of  the  bales  less  tare  allow- 
ance. See  weights. 

NEW— Hops  of  the  latest  crop  in  contradistinction  to  old 
hops.  As  it  gets  near  to  a  harvest  the  term  applies  also  to  the 
growing  crop.  The  spirit  of  its  use  and  plausible  intent  govern 
the  meaning.  First  year's  growths  are  sometimes  called  new 
hops,  to  distinguish  them  from  the  product  of  roots  that  have 
produced  before.  See  young  hops. 

OASTS  or  OAST  HOUSES— The  English  term  for  the  drying 
houses.  See  kilns. 

OFF  COLOR— Not  bright;  unsightly.  Also  used  when  the 
color  is  uneven  from  any  cause.  See  dull. 

OILY  or  BUTTERY— Sometimes  applied  to  hops  that  are 
fat  and  silky.  See  silky,  also  rich. 

OLD  HOPS— All  growths  except  the  latest  harvest.  (See 
yearlings,  also  olds  and  old  olds.) 

OLD  OLDS— A  general  term  for  hops  over  two  seasons  old. 
(Beyond  two  years  removed  from  the  latest  harvest.) 

OLDS— Hops  two  seasons  old.  (Growth  of  the  second  year 
removed  from  latest  harvest.) 

ORANGED— The  lupulin  changed  from  its  original  yellow  to 
a  deeper  or  orange  color,  the  effect  of  imperfect  curing,  or  result 
of  aging.  See  lupulin. 

ORDINARY  BREWING  HOPS— Poor  hops.  See  quality;  also 
poor. 

OVER-DRYING— The  drying  of  a  hop  for  too  long  a  period 
at  a  low  heat.  It  lessens  brew'ng  strength;  that  is,  it  lessens  its 
intrinsic  value.  It  makes  a  hop  tender.  Over-drying  is  less 
damaging  in  its  effects  than  high-drying  or  over-firing. 

OVER-FIRING,  as  the  word  implies,  means  excess  firing  in 
curing  process.  It.  causes  more  or  less  evaporation  of  the  volatile 
oils,  causes  crystallization  of  the  lupulin  and  spoils  the  flavor. 
Its  degree  can  only  be  determined  by  an  export  (and  this  can  be 


APPENDIX.  277 

said  of  all  faults).  In  its  worst  stages  it  is  called  burnt  or 
scorched;  in  the  lesser  degrees,  over-fired  or  high-dried.  General 
over-firing  may  mean  practically  entire  loss  of  brewing  quality. 

OVER-GRADING— Classing  hops  at  too  high  a  quality. 
Overrating  standard.  See  grading. 

OVER-RIPE— Over-mature;  shown  by  the  hops  turning  red, 
and  in  advanced  stages  by  fluffiness  or  lack  of  solidity  in  the 
berries  on  the  vines. 

OVER  WEIGHTS-See  hard  pressed. 

PACKAGE— A   bale. 

PACKERS— See  pack  hops. 

PACKET  HOPS— Hops  put  up  for  domestic  uses  in  tightly 
compressed  quarter,  half  and  one-pound  paper  packages.  See 
pack  hops. 

PACK  HOPS  OR  PACKERS— Hops  for  packets  for  drug- 
gists' and  grocers'  trade.  See  packet  hops. 

PARCEL— A  collective  number  of  bales.    See  lot. 

PETALS— The  leaflets  of  the  hop;  that  is,  the  carpels  or 
bracts  of  the  strobile. 

PICK— Privilege  of  taking  any  portions  of  a  lot,  subject  to 
usual  inspection  conditions. 

PICKINGS  OR  BALINGS— When  the  several  portions  of  a 
yard  are  picked  in  different  stages  of  maturity,  the  hops  are 
kept  separate  accordingly  in  early  and  late,  or  early,  middle 
and  late  balings  (or  pickings),  as  is  necessary. 

PLATTY— The  development  of  a  yard  unevenly;  that  is,  in 
blocks,  or  maturing  irregularly,  but  evenly  in  separate  plats. 

POCKETS— An  English  term  for  bales,  or,  rather,  pressed 
bags  of  cured  hops,  of  weights  varying  according  to  locality. 

POINTING  OR  TIPPING— The  shriveling  of  the  extreme 
ends  of  the  point  petals,  and  breaking  off  of  these  tips  when 
the  hops  have  reached  their  fullest  development.  This  feature, 
with  dark-purple  color  of  the  seed,  indicates,  under  normal  con- 
ditions, ideal  maturity. 

POLEMAN— The  person  delegated  to  pull  vine  poles  for  pick- 
ers, or,  in  the  trellis  yard,  to  get  down— by  means  of  a  hook  and 
blade  attachment  to  a  long  scantling— such  portions  of  vine  and 
hops  as  cling  to  trellis  wires  when  the  vines  are  pulled  down  for 
picking. 

POKES— The  English  term  for  their  hop  sacKs,  into  each  of 
which  10  bushels  of  green  hops  are  put. 

POOR  COLOR— See   off  color. 

POOR  HOP— Any  hop  having  some  brewing  virtue,  but  off 
in  general  appearance  and  conditions.  It  must  be  sufficiently 
sound  to  stand  shipment,  and  although  it  may  lack  in  color  and 
strength,  must  be  well  baled.  See  quality. 

POWDERED— Pulverized.  This  occurs  in  baling  hops  that 
have  been  killed  on  the  kilns  by  extreme  high-drying  or  over-fir- 
ing. Hops  become  chaffy  and  powder  as  they  age  or  disinte- 
grate, but  favorable  storage  retards  this.  See  chaffy. 

PRIME  HOP— One  having  most  of  the  characteristics  of 
a  choice,  but  lack'ng-  in  some  point  that  does  not  affect  its 
other  general  conditions.  For  instance,  a  prime  hop  may  be 
choice  other  than  to  be  not  quite  as  good  in  flavor,  or  not  fully 
rich  in  lupulin,  or  not  quite  although  fairly  cleanly  picked,  or 
the  berry  instead  of  being  firm  may  be  tender,  or  the  color 
may  not  be  quUe  even,  though  fairly  uniform  (not  far  off  nor 
mixed),  etc.  That  is,  some  slight  and  single  defect,  but  otherwise 
equal  to  choice.  A  hop  sample  containing  several  blemishes  as 
above  cited  would,  as  a  rule,  grade  only  medium.  See  quality. 

PRIMROSE— An  expression  rarely  used,  but  sometimes 
applied  to  a  color  indicating  early  stages  of  over-ripeness. 

QUALITY— To  secure  good  quality,  diligent  cultivation  and 
attention  in  the  yard,  and  clean  picking,  proper  curing  and 
baling  are  essential.  See  choice,  or  what  could  be  called  fancy 
brewing  hops;  prime,  that  might  be  termed  excellent  brewing 


278  THE   HOP. 


hops;  medium,  that  are  also  called  good  brewing  hops;  common, 
or  fair  brewing  hops;  and  poor,  or  ordinary  brewing  hops.  Also 
see  diseased,  worthless,  curing  guides. 

RANK— An  off  colored  hop  with  a  strong,  earthy,  or  green 
vegetable  aroma. 

RE-BALED— Baled  a  second  time.  Necessary,  of  course,  to 
re-driecl  hops.  Also  to  hops  that  have  been  opened  out  for  air- 
ing. Sometimes  resorted  to  when  the  first  baling  was  too  heavy 
or  too  light,  or  the  baling  unmerchantable.  Re-baling  generally 
badly  breaks  the  hop.  See  re-dried;  also  airing. 

RED— A  name  sometimes  given  to  over-ripe  hops. 

RE-DRIED— Dried  a  second  time.  Administered  to  hops  that 
are  found  slack,  or  to  hops  that  have  become  wet.  A  re-dried 
hop  cannot  be  a  choice  hop,  and  the  operation  generally  results 
in  very  inferior  quality.  See  re-baled. 

REEK— The  vapor  or  steam  arising  from  hops  at  the  early 
stages  of  drying,  called  at  times  a  sweat.  See  sweating,  steam- 
ing and  casing. 

RE- PACK  ING— The  re-wrapping  or  replacing  of  the  burlap 
on  the  bale,  or  the  compression  of  several  bales  into  one  package, 
a  method  sometimes  employed  for  exporting. 

RICH  OR  FAT-Thick  in  lupulin.     See  fat. 

ROASTED  OR  BURNT— Terms  sometimes  applied  to  badly 
scorched  hops. 

ROUGH— Unevenly  developed  berries  with  bracts  lacking  in 
oil  and  not  smooth. 

RTTB— See  the  rub. 

RULES— See  curing  guides. 

RUSTED— Brown  spots.  A  weather  effect  on  delicate  points 
and  flaws  of  the  growing  hops.  A  blemish,  but  this  is  not 
meant  as  the  disease  known  as  rust. 

SACKER— See  foremen. 

SACKS— See    hop    sacks. 

SAFE— Sufficiently  dry  in  bale  to  stand  either  long  (including 
export)  shipment  or  compact  piling  and  close  storage. 

SAMPLES— A  chunk  (or,  as  it  is  called,  a  square  sample)  of 
hops,  cut  and  drawn  from  side  of  bale,  with  knife  and  tongs. 
Advance  samples,  the  type  or  shipping  samples.  Type 
samples,  the  standard  for  comparison  of  quality.  Shipping 
samples,  those  sent  to  indicate  style  of  hops  shipped.  Re-drawn 
samples,  fresh  or  newly  drawn  samples,  to  show  nature  and  con- 
dition. Samples  should  not  be  taken  until  the  Hops  have  set 
or  become  firm  in  bale,  which,  takes  several  days  after  pressing. 
At  inspection  examination  a  square  sample  is  usually  taken  from 
each  10th  to  15th  bale,  depending  upon  size  of  lot,  bes  des  th« 
tryer  samples  from  each  bale.  See  tryer  samples;  also  bulk 
samples. 

SCORCHED— Burning,  caused  by  over-firing,  resulting  in  the 
crystallization  of  the  lupulin  and  excessive  loss  of  and  injury 
to  brewing  quality  and  flavor. 

SCRUBBY— Lacking  in  roundness  or  fullness  of  berry,  want- 
ing in  solidity.  Light,  flat  berries. 

SECOND  SWEAT— See  casing. 

SEEDLESS— Free   or   almost   free   of   seed. 

SELECTION— The  separate  accepting  or  rejecting  of  each 
bale  severally  in  a  crop  of  hops. 

SELLING— See  buying  and  selling. 

SHATTERING— The  breaking  apart  of  the  berry.  Falling 
off  of  the  petals.  Usual  to  hops  that  have  gone  off.  Also  through 
excessive  drying-out  in  the  bin  after  casing.  See  going  off;  also 
shelly. 

SHELLY— Brittle  from  drying  out  in  cooling  room.  Rather 
shattered  in  baling.  See  casing;  also  shattering. 

SHIPPERS— The  top  quality  demanded  by  foreign  trade. 

SHOVE  OFF— Act  of  removing  the  dried  hops  from  the  kiln 
floors. 


SICKLY— Cured  hops  showing  an  unhealthy  or  darkened 
watery  discoloration  of  the  base  of  the  petals  and  of  the  lup- 
ulm,  caused  through  faulty  handling. 

SIDE— The  broadest  and  largest  surface  of  a  bale.  The  sam- 
ples are  drawn  from  this  portion. 

SILKY— Oily  feeling  in  a  hop.  A  point  indicating  proper 
development  and  good  condition. 

SIZE— See   baling. 

SKYLIGHTS— The  windows  through  which  the  light  is 
reflected  on  the  boards. 

SLACK  BINE— Shortage  of  lateral  arms  and  foliage. 

SLACK-DRIED  or  SLACKNESS— See  slack 

SLACK  OR,  UNDER-DRYING-A  slack  hop  is  one  that  is 
under-dried,  not  sufficiently  dry.  Hops  in  this  condition  heat  or 
sour,  depending  on  the  degree  of  slackness  and  storage  condi- 
tions. Heating,  which  virtually  means  rotting,  may  be  occa- 
sioned by  even  a  bunch  as  little  as  a  handful  of  slack  hops  and 
once  started,  usually  affects  the  entire  bale,  and  even  commu- 
nicates to  surrounding  bales  if  closely  stored.  See  heating  or 
heated;  also  sour  and  cold. 

SLA CKISH— Slightly  slack.  These  hops  usually  sour.  See 
slack. 

SLACK-SCORCHED-Hops  dried  at  too  high  a  temperature 
and  not  dried  through.  Burning  them  without  drying  them, 
so  that  while  they  have  a  scorched  flavor,  they  may  still  sour  or 
heat  in  cooling  bin  or  bale.  Often  the  fault  of  too  many  hops 
being  on  the  kiln  for  its  capacity.  See  slack. 

SLEAZY— Thin  in  texture,  wanting  in  vitality  and  brewing 
strength:  flimsy. 

SMOKY— Smoky  smell  that  the  hops  take  when  the  kiln  fur- 
nace or  pipes  are  defective  and  allow  smoke  to  escape  through 
the  hops. 

SMOTHERED— Inappropriate  casing,  resulting  from  inade- 
quate airing  of  hops  in  cooling  room.  Usually  due  to  too  heavy 
packing,  causing  loss  of  brilliancy  and  effecting  early  disintegra- 
tion or  aging. 

SMUDGED— Incipient  heating  arrested.  Berries  indicating 
that  they  had  started  to  heat  and  cooled  off. 

SOFT— Delicate  to  the  eye  and  touch,  and  usually  mild  of 
flavor.  Yielding  to  easy  pressure. 

SOGGY— Very  wet  or  slack.     See  slack. 

SOUND— Not  slack;  in  a  safe  condition. 

SOURING— A  hop  generally  sours  or  takes  a  seur  flavor 
wrhen  not  properly  ventilated  in  cooling  rooms  (when  too 
heavily  piled),  while  going  through  case,  and  generally,  if  prop- 
erly dried,  when  baled  too  soon;  that  is,  Defore  completely 
cured.  A  slackish  hop  in  bale  will  sour  if  it  does  not  heat.  Con- 
dition of  storage  affects  the  extent  of  damage  at  times.  See 
storage;  also  cold. 

SPINDLING— Thin,  straggling,  light-foliaged,  unproductive 
or  small  bearing  vines. 

SPONGY— Springy  to  the  touch,  full  of  life.  A  good  point  and 
essential  to  a  first-class  hop.  Also  called  lively. 

SPOTTED--Berry  showing  uneven  development  of  color. 
Petals  of  different  color  in  same  berry. 

SPRAYING— Squirting  washes  on  the  vines  through  spraying 
machines,  to  avert  the  appearance  or  stop  the  spread  of  vermin 
or  disease. 

SPRAYING  DAMAGE— Injury  created  by  the  spraying  wash, 
caused  generally  by  washes  that  are  too  powerful,  or  by  apply- 
ing same  at  wrong  stage. 

STEAMING— Emitting  volumes  of  moisture.  This  occurs  to 
the  hops  in  the  kiln  at  the  earlier  stages  of  drying.  See  the 
reek;  also  sweating. 

STEMS— The  twigs  from  the  lateral  arms  (consisting  of  the 
peduncle,  petioles  and  pedicels),  which  should  not  be  picked. 


280  THE   HOP. 


See  core,  or  hop  stem. 

STF.WED  OR  COOKED— A  condition  due  to  inadequate  over- 
head drafts  in  kilns,  causing  the  moisture  supercharged  air  or 
reek  to  fall  back  on  the  drying  hops. 

STIR— Some  growers  stir  instead  of  turning  their  hops  by 
walking  through  or  rather  dragging  their  feet  with  a  shuffling 
motion  along  the  kiln  floors  through  the  batches  of  drying  hops. 

STORAGE — Should  be  clean,  dry  and  dark,  away  from  mois- 
ture and  foreign  odors.  Hops  while  in  transit  are  in  a  poor  con- 
dition of  storage,  due  to  the  extreme  and  oppressive  heat  gener- 
ated in  cars  and  vessels. 

STOUT— Rich  in  lupulin  and  of  good  flavor. 

STOWAGE— An  English  expression  for  cooling  room. 

STRAWY— The  cut  edge  of  a  sample  of  broken  or  scrubby 
hops  that  lack  in  oily  matter,  and  have  a  straw-like  appear- 
ance. 

STREAKY— See  cabbagv. 

STRIPPING — The  removing  of  the  foliage  (branches  and 
leaves)  from  the  lower  portion  of  the  main  vine. 

STROBILE— See  berry. 

STRONG— Full   flavor. 

SULPHURING — Burning  sulphur  at  the  kiln  furnaces,  so 
that  the  fumes  pass  through  the  drying  hops.  It  has  a  three- 
fold effect;  it  opens  the  hops,  thus  helping  to  keep  them  loose, 
whicn  assists  the  draft;  it  modifies  or  evens  tiie  color  of  the 
hops;  and  it  has  a  preserving  tendency  by  promoting  mellowness. 
See  casing.  It  should  be  employed  at  the  proper  stage,  and 
that  is  from  the  time  the  hops  on  the  kiln  have  become  warm 
until  they  have  finished  steaming.  See  bleaching. 

SUN  SCALD— The  weakening  of  the  vine  and  injury  to  or 
curtailment  of  the  crop,  through  protracted  Intense  heat  during 
the  developing  period  of  growth,  before  the  true  hops  have 
formed. 

SWEATING— Sometimes  used  in  the  sense  of  heating.  Often 
for  the  reek.  Also  applied  to  casing,  which  is  at  times  called  the 
second  sweat. 

SWEEPINGS— The  refuse  from  floors  swept  into  the  press, 
making  such  bales  inferior. 

TARE— The  customary  allowance  or  deduction  in  weight  for 
baling  cloth. 

TENDER— Soft;  delicate  to  the  touch. 

THE  RUB — The  feeling  and  action  of  a  hop  between  the 
fingers  or  hands  in  examination. 

THICKNESS— An  English  term  employed  in  passing  on  the 
quantity  of  lupulin;  richness. 

THIN— Lacking  in  lupulin;  wanting  in  brewing  strength. 
Also  called  light,  or  weak. 

TINTED— Touched  with  a  faint  pinkish  color,  indicating  the 
turning  point  to  over-maturing.  This  feature  is  desirable.  An 
indistinct  blush,  not  too  pronounced,  or  it  would  mean  over- 
ripeness. 

TIPPING— See  pointing. 

TONGS— A  tool  for  taking  square  samples  from  a  bale. 

TOP  CROP— The  growth  of  hops  running  principally  to  the 
extreme  end  (top)  of  the  vines,  due  to  less  than  ordinary 
branching  or  arming,  and  indicating  a  lighter  than  normal  yield. 

TOP  OR  HEAD— The  smallest  surface  of  a  bale. 

TOUGH— A  tenacious  condition  that  the  cores  of  the  hops 
are  in  at  a  certain  stage  of  curing.  A  number  of  tough  stems 
in  baled  hops  are  an  indication  of  slackness. 

TOUGH  STEMS— Tenacious  "hop  stems;"  strigs  that  are  not 
brittle;  incompletely  cured  cores. 

TRAMPING— The  light  compression  of  the  hops  in  the 
presses,  to  permit  more  hops  being  added  for  proper  weight 
of  bale  before  actual  power  is  applied  through  the  follower 
attachment  of  the  press. 


APPENDIX.  281 


TRY— The  probing  with  tryer.  The  examination  of  each 
bale  singly.  See  examination,  also  inspection,  and  good  light. 

TRYER— A  harpoon-shaped  instrument  used  in  inspecting 
each  bale,  and  which  brings  out  a  handful  of  hops.  See  try 

TRYER  SAMPLES  OR  TRYING S-The  handful  of  hops 
taken  from  the  center  arid  sometimes  from  several  parts  of  each 
bale,  with  the  tryer,  by  the  inspector.  See  sample,  also  good 
light,  and  inspection 

TRYINGS— See   tryer   samples. 

TURN  OR  TURNING— Some  growers  upset  or  turn  their 
hops  on  the  kiln  floor  after  several  hours'  drying.  A  hop  is  said 
to  be  turning  wjtien  aging.  Also  said  of  hops  that  are  heating  or 
heated.  See  souring. 

UNDER-DRYING— See   slack. 

UNDER-GRADING— Underrating  quality.  Classifying  below 
proper  standard.  See  grading. 

UNEVEN  COLOR— Not  a  uniform  color;  a  mixture  of  differ- 
ently colored  but  fairly  developed  berries.  See  mixed  color;  also 
off  color. 

UNEVEN  CURING  AND  MIXED  CURING— Uneven  drying 
of  hops,  caused  by  too  heavy  floorings;  that  is,  too  great  a 
depth  of  hops  on  kilns,  or  through  faulty  kiln  construction  and 
improper  drafts,  so  that  in  order  to  dry  part  of  the  hops  properly 
those  in  another  section  of  the  k'lri  are  either  over  or  under- 
dried.  In  such  cases  it  is  uneven  curing.  Where  the  kilns  work 
properly  and  growers  dry  some  floorings  to  different  degrees 
than  others  and  mix  them  in  bin  and  bale  it  is  mixed  curing. 

UNSAFE— See  unsound 

UNSOUND  OR  UNSAFE— Not  sound;  slack  or  slackish. 

USEFUL— Not  particularly  fine,  nor  sightly,  but  of  good 
brewing  quality. 

VALUE— See  grade  and  value. 

VARIEGATED— Mixed  in  color;  checkered.    See  mottled. 

VERMIN  DAMAGE — Injury  to  the  growing  crop,  caused  by 
pests  and  the  resulting  damage  of  which  is  apparent  in  the  hop. 

WEAK— See   thin. 

WEIGHER— The  yard  boss,  who  has  charge  of  pickers, 
weighs  the  hops  and  gives  credit,  or  pay-checks,  for  them. 

WEIGHTS— Bales  should  weigh  from  170  to  205  pounds  gross 
weight  and  should  average  not  less  than  180  pounds  net  weight. 
Unless  otherwise  stated  all  transactions  imply  net  weight.  See 
loose  pressed,  hard  pressed,  bales,  baling. 

WIND-WHIPPED -The  tips  and  outer  leaves  of  berries 
bruised,  withered  and  discolored,  caused  by  \vind  shaking  and 
hitting. 

WOODY— Abounding  in  vegetable  fiber  and  harsh. 

WORTHLESS— Hops  that  cannot  even  be  classed  poor;  that 
is,  those  that  are  spoiled  through  bad  handling  or  disease.  There 
is  always  a  lot  of  this  valueless  trash.  See  quality. 

YARD  BOSSES— Those  in  charge  of  the  picking.  See  foremen. 

YEARLINGS— Hops  of  the  next  to  the  latest  harvest.  (On 
the  Pacific  coast  young  hops  are  sometimes  erroneously  called 
yearlings.) 

YOUNG  HOPS— Hops  of  first  year's  planting;  i.  e.,from  vines 
of  the  first  growth  after  the  sets  or  cuttings  have  been  planted 
for  a  crop;  infrequently  called  baby  hops.  See  new. 


RULES  REGULATING  THE  HOP   TRADE 

AMONG  MEMBERS  OF  THE  NEW  YORK  PRODUCE  EXCHANGE. 

[Adopted  March  1,  1883,  and  amended  September  27,   1889.] 

Rule  1.— At  the  first  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Managers, 
after  their  election,  the  president  shall  (subject  to  the  approval 
of  the  Board)  appoint  as  a  committee  on  hops,  five  members 
of  the  New  York  Produce  Exchange,  who  are  known  to  be  deal- 
ing in  hops,  to  consist  of  two  brewers  and  three  dealers.  It 
shall  be  the  duty  of  this  committee  to  properly  discharge  the 
obligations  imposed  upon  them  by  these  rules,  and  also  to  con- 
sider and  decide  all  disputes  arising  between  members  dealing 
in,  consuming,  or  exporting  hops,  which  may  be  submitted  to 
them. 

A  majority  of  the  committee  shall  constitute  a  quorum,  but 
the  committee  shall  fill  temporary  vacancies,  if  requested  by 
either  party,  by  some  member  or  members  representing  the 
same  interest  as  the  absent  member  or  members,  and  a  decision 
of  a  majority  of  those  present  at  any  meeting  shall  be  final. 
They  shall  keep  a  record  of  their  proceedings,  and  a  fee  of 
fifteen  dollars  ($15)  shall  bo  paid  to  the  committee  for  each 
reference  case  heard  by  them— to  be  paid  by  the  party  adjudged 
to  be  in  fault,  unless  otherwise  ordered  by  the  committee;  pro- 
vided, however,  that  nothing  herein  shall  prevent  a  settlement 
of  questions  of  difference  by  private  arbitration,  or  as  provided 
in  the  by-laws. 

Rule  2.— All  transactions  In  American  hops  only  between 
members  of  the  Produce  Exchange  shall  be  governed  by  the 
following  rules,  but  nothing  herein  shall  be  construed  as  inter- 
fering in  any  way  with  the  right  cf  members  to  make  such 
special  contracts  or  conditions  as  they  may  desire. 

Rule  3.— All  hops  shall  be  deliverable  In  merchantable  bales. 
When  a  certain  number  of  pounds  are  sold,  number  of  bales 
not  specified:  net  weight  shall  be  understood. 

Rule  4.— When  specific  lots  are  sold  by  sample,  or  other- 
wise, and  are  ready  for  immediate  delivery,  any  bale  weighing 
not  less  than  170  pounds,  nor  more  than  205  pounds,  shall  be 
considered  a  good  delivery. 

Rule  5.— When  hops  are  sold  for  future  delivery,  and  the 
weights  of  the  bales  have  not  been  ascertained  at  the  time  of 
sale,  a  good  delivery  shall  be  a  sufficient  number  of  bales  to 
effect  a  delivery  of  the  number  of  bales  sold,  at  an  average  of 
not  less  than  180  pounds,  nor  more  than  190  pounds,  gross 
weight. 

Rule  6.— On  all  New  York  state  hops,  an  allowance  of  five 
pounds  per  bale  shall  be  made  as  tare,  in  conformity  with 
Chapter  239,  laws  of  1889. 

Rule  7—  Tn  the  absence  of  any  specific  agreement,  the  seller 
shall  have  the  right  to  demand  payment  at  the  time  of  passing 
the  title. 

Rule  S.— Whenever  sales  are  made  -KVween  members  of  the 
Produce  Exchange  through  a  broker  who  is  not  a  member  of 
the  exchange,  a  written  memorandum  of  the  transaction  is  to 
be  exchanged  by  the  principals  before  the  sale  is  binding. 

282 


RULES.  283 


Rule  9.— Hops  sold  for  immediate  delivery  must  be  inspected 
on  the  day  succeeding  the  sale.  Hops  sold  for  future  delivery 
must  be  inspected  on  the  day  succeeding  the  notice  of  delivery. 

Rule  10.— If  upon  inspection  it  shall  be  found  that  any  lot, 
or  part  of  a  lot,  of  hops  shall  not  conform  with  the  contra-ct. 
the  buyer  shall  take  all  which  do  conform  to  the  contract,  ana 
the  seller  shall  replace  the  lot,  or  part  of  a  lot,  rejected  with 
other  hops  of  as  good  a  quality,  and  for  this  purpose  the  seller 
shall  have  10  days  to  replace  and  tender  hops  to  fill  the  original 
contract;  but  if  a  specific  lot  is  sold  by  sample  the  buyer  shall 
take  all  which  are  up  to  sample,  and  he  shall  have  the  privilege 
of  taking  the  rejections  at  a  reduction  to  be  agreed  upon  be- 
tween seller  and  buyert  or  to  be  settled  by  arbitration. 

Rule  11.— Hops  shall  be  weighed  (unless  otherwise  agreed 
upon)  by  a  city  weigher,  whose  return  shall  be  taken  as  the 
correct  weights  of  the  bales.  Weigher's  fees  to  be  divided  by 
buyer  and  seller  equally. 

Rule  12.— All  hops  shall  be  removed  at  the  buyer's  expense 
within  two  days  after  receiving  the  invoice  (weather  permit- 
ting), and  until  then  the  seller  is  to  hold  the  same  fully  cov- 
ered by  insurance  at  invoice  value. 

Rule  13.— When  hops  are  sold  to  arrive  and  to  be  inspected 
on  dock,  the  buyer  shall,  after  inspection  and  order  for  de- 
livery being  given,  assume  the  same  relation  toward  the  trans- 
portation line  by  which  the  hops  arrived,  as  the  seller  previ- 
ously held  as  regards  their  removal  from  the  place  of  delivery 
within  the  time  granted  by  such  lines  for  that  purpose. 

Rule  14.— Rules  3,  4,  5  and  6  shall  apply  only  to  the  crop  of 
1S83  and  subsequent  crops. 

Rule  15.— A  carload  of  hops  shall  be  understooi  to  contafn 
not  less  than  10,000,  or  more  than  13,000  pounds. 


BIBLIOGRAPHY. 

The  Curiosities  of  Ale  and  Beer,  John  Bickerdyke; 
London,  1889. 

Twenty-five  Years  of  Brewing  and  History  of  Ameri- 
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The  London  and  Country  Brewer,  printed  for  T.  Ast- 
ley;  London,  1758-59. 

Hops  and  Hopping,  John  B.  Marsh;   London,  1892. 

Root  Growing  and  the  Cultivation  of  Hops,  Arthur 
Roland,  edited  by  William  H.  Ablett;  London,  1887. 

Hops,  their  Cultivation,  Commerce  and  Uses  in  Various 
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Hop  Culture  in  the  United  States,  being  a  practical 
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cutting  to  the  bale,  E.  Meeker;  Puyallup,  Wash.,  1883. 

Diseases  of  Plants  Induced  by  Cryptogamic  Parasites, 
Tubeuf  and  Smith;  London,  1897. 

Diseases  of  Plants,  H.  Marshall  Ward  (contains  a  de- 
tailed popular  description  of  mildew) ;  New  York,  1890. 

Insects  and  Fungous  Enemies  of  the  Hop  Vine,  Charles 
Whitehead;  Journal  of  the  Royal  Society  of  England  series 
3,  1893,  pp.  240-247. 

Methods  of  Preventing  and  Checking  Attacks  of  Insects 
and  Fungi,  Charles  Whitehead;  London,  1891. 

Annual  Report  of  the  Board  of  Agriculture,  Charles 
Whitehead;  London,  1890,  p.  24. 

Hop  Cultivation,  Charles  Whitehead;  London,  1893. 

Handbook  for  Hop  Growers,  a  guide  to  the  practical  cul- 
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Hop  Cultivation  (German),  C.  Beckenhaupt;  Weissen- 
burg,  Germany,  1890. 

A  beautiful  set  of  photographic  plates,  each  36  by  23 
ctms.,  was  prepared  in  Germany  by  Dr.  M.  Braungart,  and 
published  in  1881-2.  Not  less  than  429  "varieties"  of  hops 
are  illustrated  in  the  37  plates.  The  hops  are^shown  in  life- 
size  and  from  all  parts  of  the  world.  The  old  edition  is 
out  of  print,  but  copies  are  in  many  libraries  in  Europe. 
A  new  edition  is  expected  in  1901  that  Bought  to  be  in  every 
agricultural  college  and  other  ~  important  libraries  in 
America. 

Hop  Culture,  practical  details  as  given  by  ten  experi- 
enced cultivators  residing  in  the  hop-growing  sections  in 
the  United  States,  collected  by  Orange  Judd  Company, 
edited  by  A.  §.  Fuller;  New  York,  1883. 

284 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 

A  section  of  hop  pickers  starting  their  work,        Frontispiece 

Fig.  Page. 

1.  Three-hundred  acre  hop  field  nearly  ready  to  pick  .  .  10 

2.  Commencement    of    pole    stack 12 

3.  New  York   hop  yard     . 14 

4.  Hop  harvest  in  New  York  state 17 

5.  Southern  Oregon  hop  yard,  ready  to  pick         ...  20 

6.  Hop  yard  two  miles  long  at  Horstville*,  Cal.    ...  24 

7.  Branch  of  male  hop  vine           26 

8.  Female  vine,    showing    flowers      .      Y"    .       .       .       .  27 

9.  Branch  of  female  hops 28 

10.  Grains   of  lupulin ....  29 

11.  Female  cluster  newly  set  .        .       .       .       .       .       .       .  30 

12.  Single  female  flower            *.•;.;.  30 

13.  Cross-sectional  longitudinal  view  of  female  hop    .       .  31 

14.  Various  shapes  of  hops 33 

15.  Kentish    hops .       .       .  34 

16.  Kentish  cluster  hops 37 

17.  Fuggles,    Kent 40 

18.  Bates's    brewers,    Kent 43 

19.  Rear  view  of  12  kilns,  Pleasanton,  Cal      ....  46 

20.  Climbing  tendril  of  hop  vine .  48 

21.  Largest  hop  kiln  in  the  world  under  one  cover     .       .  53 

22.  Hop  harvest  in  Madison  Co.,  N.   Y 55 

23.  Partly  picked  hop  yard,  Cal 57 

24.  Hop  fields  near  Cooperstown,  N.   Y 60 

25.  Tank  for  dipping  hop  poles  to  prevent  rot       ...  62 

26.  Hop  pickers  in  Washington      .......  66 

27.  Picking  hops  in  Kent,  Eng.     .       .       ,       .       .       .       .  68 

28.  Picking  hops 70 

29.  Irrigating     hops 75 

30.  Yard  on  the  short  pole  system      .       .       ....  78 

31.  Training  hops    in    Kent 81 

32.  Horizontal  hop  yard,  N.  Y 82 

33.  Otsego   grub   hoe 84 

34.  Twine     pole 85 

35.  Kentish  wire  trellis 86 

36.  Kentish    hop    yards 87 

37.  Hop   root   stock 88 

38.  Hop  vine  stock  for  transplanting 90 

39.  Hop    stock 91 

40.  Tools  for  making  holes  for  setting  poles    .... 

41.  Forms  of  hop  knives 

42.  Plants  untrimmed  and  trimmed • 

43.  Yard  pegged  out  for  planting 

44.  American  grub  hooks  .       .       .        .  .       .  • 

45.  Foreign     hop     tools 100 

46.  Tying    knot 

47.  Hop  garden  in  Kent • 

48.  Picking  hops  grown  on  strings  and  trellis,  Cal. 

49.  Orchard     cultivator 

50.  Pleasanton  trellis,  side  and  end  views      ....  107 

51.  Starting  out  to  "string"  a  wire  trellis      .... 

52.  Trellis   system   used   at   Pleasanton 110 

53.  One-horse    shovel    plow Ill 

54.  Indian   hop  Dickers  at  dinner,  Cal 

55.  Spraying  outfit,  British  Columbia  hop  yard    . 

285 


286  THE  HOP. 


Fig.  Page. 

56.  Hop  plant  louse,  true  female    .       .       .       .       .       .       .  116 

57.  stem    mother 116 

58.  "         "  "         first   immigrant 118 

59.  "         "  "         male 120 

60.  Hop  plant   louse   and   eggs        .        .  .       .       .        .  121 

61.  Aphidine  parasite  of  hop  plant  louse  , 123 

62.  Cynipid   parasite  of  hop  plant  louse 125 

63.  Hop    grub 127 

64.  Hop  vine  snout  moth ...       .  131 

65.  Interrogation   butterfly 132 

66.  Comma  butterfly .       .        .       .  133 

67.  Zebra,    butterfly 134 

68.  Woolly  bear  caterpillar      .  135 

69.  Saddleback    caterpillar 136 

70.  Hop  vine  leaf  hopper 137 

71.  Striped     flea-beetle -139 

72.  "Red  spider"  or  spinning  mite 140 

73.  Needle-nosed    hop    bug        .        .        .        .        .        .        .       .  143 

74.  "Scars"   on  hop  vine 144 

75.  An  eelworm  disease  of  hops 145 

76.  Threads  of  hypliae  of  hop  mold 147 

77.  Ascocarps   of   "hop   mold" 148 

78.  Single   ascocarp 150 

79.  Growing  pineapples  or  tobacco  under  sheds  in  Florida  156 

80.  Step-ladder .        .       .        .  158 

81.  Scene  in   Kentish  hop  yard      .  160 

82.  Indian  pickers'  lodges,  Cal 161 

83.  Hop  bin  frame,  N.   Y. 163 

84.  Picking    bin,    N.    Y 164 

85.  Hop    picking    check 166 

86.  Pickers'    weight   memorandum 167 

87.  "Set"    for   four   pickers       .  168 

88.  Weighing   hops        .  169 

89.  Elevating   hops   to   kiln       .  171 

90.  Tent  training 173 

91.  Improved   English   oast 174 

92.  Section  of  group  of  kilns  and  cooling  room      ...  176 

93.  Ground  floor  of  kilns  and  cooling  room      .        .        .        .  176 

94.  Elevation  of  the  common  hop  kiln      .  .       .       .  178 

95.  Ground  plan  of  hop  kiln 179 

96.  Second  floor  of  hop  kiln 179 

97.  Draft   hop   kiln 180 

98.  Section  of  cowl  to  draft  kiln 182 

1>9.    Ground   plan   of  kiln 183 

100.  Plan   of  drying  floor     .        . 184 

101.  Improved  France  kiln 186 

102.  Details  of  kiln   construction 187 

103.  Support  for  hot-air  pipe 189 

104.  Stove   for   kiln,    front   view 190 

105.  Hop   baling   press 192 

106.  Elevation   of  hop  house,   N.   Y 193 

107.  Ground   plan  of  hop  house 194 

108.  Section  of  hop  house    .  195 

109.  Shovel  and  brush  for  use  in  kiln 197 

110.  Elevation  of  double  kiln,  N.  Y 198 

111.  Ground  plan  of  double  kiln      .        .        .        .        .        .        .199 

112.  Car  at  kiln  to  receive  hops      .       .       ...       .       .  200 

133.  Harris  hop  press     .        .        .        .        .        .        ...        .  201 

114.  Press   with   front   removed        .        .        .       ,        .        .        .  202 

115.  Pleasanton  hop  kiln,  front  elevation    *     ,  ,       .       .       .  203 

116.  Side   elevation   of  kilns        .        .        .        ...        .       .  204 

117.  Detail   of  hopper     .  205 

118.  Arrangement  of  heating  pipes  and  drums  ....  206 

119.  Pleasanton  kilns  and  coolers 208 

120.  Ground   plan  of  Pleasanton   establishment      ...  210 

121.  Cooling  house   for  hops      ........  212 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS.  287 


Fig.  Page. 

122.  Cooler— end    elevation 213 

123.  Circular  kiln.  Montgomery  Co.,  N.   Y.        .       .        .    •    .  215 

124.  Improved  kilns  and  warehouse  of  iron      ....  216 

125.  A  glimpse  of  Kentish  oast  houses 218 

126.  Loading  bags  of  hops  for  the  kiln 221 

127.  Interior  of  hop  kiln 223 

128.  Bohemian  hops  from  imported  roots 226 

129.  Washington  hop  kilns  in  King  Co.,  near  Auburn    .        .  231 

130.  Hop    kilns,    Pleasanton 236 

131.  Bavarian  hops  grown  at  Horstville,  from  imported  roots  238 
132:    Scene  in  English  oast  house 241 

133.  Trainload  of  hops  leaving  Horstville,  Cal.        ...  242 

134.  Picking   golden    clusters 244 

135.  East    Kent    Goldings 246 

136.  Picked  yard  at  left,  unpicked  at  right      .        .       .        .  248 

137.  Homemade  hop  oress 365 


288  ADVERTISEMENTS. 

Louis  A.  HORST 
E.  CLEMENS  HORST 


HORST  BROTHERS, 


Growers  and  Dealers 


CSOIOE3 

HOPS  AND  BARLEY. 


Hop  Ranches  at 


HORSTVILLE,  Bear  River,  California. 
URIAH,  Russian  River,  California. 
SALEM,  Willamette  River,  Oregon. 
EOLA,  Willamette  River,  Oregon. 
AGASSIZ,  Fraser  River,  British  Columbia. 


Main  Offices:  T5SK£ll.lc 

24  Southwark  St.,  S.  E.,  London,  England.  HORSUM. 

122  Battery  St.,  San  Francisco,  California.  HORST. 

212  Commercial  St.,  Salem,  Oregon.  " 

20  State  St.,  New  York,  N.  Y. 

172  Washington  St.,  Chicago,  111.  « 


Codes  Used: 


"A.   B.  C." 

"A.   I." 
"  MEYERS." 
"ATLANTIC." 


INDEX 


Page. 

Acreage  in  United  States 265 

world's,  1890-'S7 265 

Australia,    hop    area  in 4 

Austria-Hungary,   culture  in 3 

Bales,    marking 206 

shaping ' 205 

sacking  for 203 

weight  of      .                       206 

Baling,  methods  of 202,  204 

Beer,  influence  of  hops  on 54 

production,   1865-1890 267 

relative  consumption 267 

Belgium,  foreign  trade  of 267 

Bibliographj^ 284 

Bine,  climbing  tendril  of 48 

Brewers,  \iews  of 49 

British  Columbia,  cost  of  growing  hops  in        ....  258 

Brush  for  kiln 199 

California,  cost  of  growing  hops  in 256 

first  hops   in 

methods 98 

soil   conditions  in 63 

Chemistry  of  hops   (Ewell) 54 

Clark,  James  F 8 

methods  of 

Climate,  best  fof  hops 61 

Coolers,   construction   of 212 

Cooling,  time  required 199 

Co-operation  of  growers      .        .        .       .       •       .       .       .       .  234 

Crops  and  prices,  1874-'97 264 

Crops  of  the  world,  1890-'97        ...       ,       .       .       .       .  264 

Crops  used  with  hops • 

Cultivation   second  year 

Cultivator,  use  of 

Curing,   deep    "floor" 

fuel  for 191 

German   method 175,  199 

"natural  cure" fi» 

object  of 195 

temperature    for 207 

time  required      .......••••  195 

Diseases,  eelworm 147 

fungus    

hop-mold , 148 

mildew 155 

England,  average  yearly  expenses 250 

crops    compared ^"" 

expense  of  culture  in 249 

foreign  trade  of,  1888-'96 266 

hop  area  in J 

variety  of  soils 

Ensilage,     hop   vine |J 

Estimates  by  growers ^51 

19  289 


HANS  C.  WAHLBERG 

Cable  Address,  "  Wahlberg."  Portland,  Oregon,  U.  S.  A. 

DEALER  IN 


• 


HANS   C.  WAHLBERG 

REFERENCES: — Any  bank  and  respectable  business  man  in 
Portland,  Ore-,  and  a  long  list  of  well-known  representative  Hop 
dealers  in  the  Eastern  States,  Canada  and  abroad,  who  have  been  my 
customers  for  years. 

Samples  forwarded  and  quotations  given  on  application.  Cor- 
respondence respectfully  solicited.  My  private  Cable  Code  mailed 
to  any  prospective  customer  who  may  want  it.  • 

CODES  USED:— My  private  code,  A.  B.  C.  (4th  Edition),  J. 
K.  Armsby's,  U.  S.  Cipher  Code. 

Branch  offices  and  sub-agents  in  every  Hop  section  of  Oregon 
and  Washington. 

I  have  a  big  Hop  farm  of  my  own  wherefrom  I  harvest  about 
500  bales  of  Hops  of  choice  quality  every  year. 

HANS  C.  WAHLBERG, 

PORTLAND,  OREGON,  U.  S.  A. 

(291) 


292  ADVERTISEMENTS. 

LILIENTHAL 
BROTHERS, 

Hop  Merchants, 

102  Broad  Sf.,  Neu)  York,  0.  S.  fi. 
24  SoUfhuJark  51.,  S.  E.,  London,  Eng. 


LILIENTHAL  &  CO., 

Hop  Merchants, 

AND  SHIPPERS 

PACIFIC  COAST  HOPS. 


MAIN  OFFICE: 

tOO  Front  St.,  San  Francisco,  Cat.,  U.  S.  A, 

Representatives  in  all  CALIFORNIA,  OREGON 
and  WASHINGTON  HOP  CENTERS. 


INDEX.  293 


Page. 

Expenses  and  profits,  in  British  Columbia 258 

in  California 256 

in  England 250 

in  Germany 249 

in  King  Co.,  Wash 258 

in  Madison  Co.,  N.  Y 252 

in  northern  Ohio 254 

in  Otsego  Co.,  N.  Y 251,  253 

in  Polk  Co.,  Ore 257 

in  St.  Lawrence  Co.,  N.  Y 254 

in  Washington  Co.,  Ore 256 

in  Yamhill  Co.,  Ore 257 

Export  demand,  influence  on  prices 232 

value  by  months,  1889- '98 263 

Exports  from  New  York  city  « 233 

from  New  York,  1890-'97 261 

of  domestic  hops,  18S9-'9S  ...'.....  263 

Fertilizers 69 

commercial 73,  76 

English *.....  77 

formulas 76 

lime 74 

nitrogen 75 

phosphoric  acid  , 73 

potash 73 

stable  manure 72 

substances  required 71,  74 

Fertilizing   constituents 59 

Fish-oil    soap 124 

Flint,   Daniel 

France,   industry   in 

German  hop  growers'  association 268 

Germany,  curing  in 175 

expense  of  culture  in  249 

foreign  trade  of,  1883-'96 266 

plantations  in 2 

soil 65 

Grades,  mixed 228 

recognized  in  markets 219 

Grading,  a  "choice"  hop 224 

color  test  in 223 

disagreement  in  222 

Hop  dictionary 269-281 

exchange 234 

extract 239 

Hops,  botanical  analyses  of 3W 

composition  of  , 51, 52,  54,  59 

from  seed °-J 

per  barrel  of  beer ^J« 

properly  cured •  J™ 

quality  in 38,  45,  220 

quotations  in  foreign  currency f™ 

re-sulphured *£' 

seedless •  «jj 

"slack-dried" !97,  230 

smudged  .  1*j 

uses  of  aside  from  beer *£ 

weight  of  bale 264 

yield  per  acre .AW 

Horst  Brothers,  contracts 243 

experiments  by •: £*£ 

fireproof  kilns 247 

hydraulic  compress *;J 

irrigation 245 

methods  of 243 


294 


ADVERTISEMENTS. 


1  THE  SPRAMOTOR  PATENTED 
|     SPRAYING,  PAINTING 

AND  WHITEWASHING  MACHINE 


3 

* 

* 


Has  been  awarded 
over  100  gold  medals 
and  FIRST  AWARDS 

and  was  placed 
FIRST  at  the  Govern- 
ment Spraying  Con- 
test, as  a  Fruit 
Spraying  Appara- 
tus. A  contest  of 
this  character, 
under  judges  ap- 
pointed by  a  British 
Government,  being 
both  practical  and  thorough,  has  done  very 
much  in  the  interests  of  the  users  of  Spraying 
Appliances,  by  preventing  them  buying  poor, 
cheap  and  hard  working  apparatus,  which  has 
done  more  to  discourage  the  practice  of  spray- 
ing than  all  other  causes  combined. 


SPRAMOTOR    CO., 

Mention  this  publication.     LONDON,  ONTARIO,  CANADA. 


! 


ft 
ft 

8 

ft 
ft 
ft 
ft 

8 

ft 
ft 
ft 
ft 


ADVERTISEMENTS.  295 


§  A  FULL  RANGE  OF  SIZES, 

5  DESIGNED  FOR 

*  Painting  all  kinds  of  building's  with  oil  paints,  £ 

6  w 

*  ^  Spraying  all  kinds  of  fruit  trees  and  crops,  m 

W  '  :  -  —  w 

jjj  Spraying  with  mechanical  mixtures,  JJJ 

Whitewashing  and  disinfection.  $ 


3 


|      THE   SPRAMOTOR 


ii<  'f- 

*    Was  adopted  by  the  Canadian,  Russian,  Bel-  iii 

It   gian    and    Australasian   Governments.      5,000  i 

$   in  use  in  three  years.     Prices  range  *i 

*  s 

J  from  $5.00  to  $50.00.  j 

i 

jg  A  75  page  Copyrighted  Treatise  and  Cata-  JJJ 

jjj   logue  is  free  for  asking,  giving  full  particulars  J 

jji   of  the  machine,  as  well  as  the  diseases  affect-  J[J 

jjj   ing   fruit    trees,    vegetables,    etc.,    and    their  JJJ 
S  remedies. 


3J 

\i  Agents  wanted  throughout  the  world. 

!</            Patented  and  guaranteed.  * 

iii  Cable  address,  SPRAMOTOR,  London. 

vil            Directory  code  used.  * 

ill            Address,  M 

I            SPRAHOTOR  CO.,  | 

|     Mention  this  publication.     LONDON,    ONTARIO,   CANADA.  J 


296 


ADVERTISEMENTS. 


Samples  and 

prices 

forwarded  on 
application* 


HOPS! 
HOPS! 
HOPS! 


Samples  and 

prices 

forwarded  on 
application* 


Hop  Exchange  Borough,       LONDON,  S»  E, 


I 

* 


* 

$ 


Hop  News  Every  Week 

The  most  Complete  Summary  of  the  world-wide  situation  in  Hops, 
by  experienced  and  practical  writers, 

Local  Reports  from  all  Sections, 
Statistics  of  the  Crop  Movement, 
Estimates  of  Acreage  and  Yield  ; 

Also  a  fund  of  information  in  various  other  departments,  together  with 
household  pages  for  all  the  family.    These  are  some  of  the  features  of 

American  Agriculturist  (weekly), 
And  Orange  Judd  Farmer 

Western  Edition  of  American  Agriculturist). 

One  Dollar  a  Year.  Specimen  Copy  Free. 

ORANGE  JUDD  COMPANY, 


I 

m 


i 


CHICAGO, 
flarquette  Building. 


NEW  YORK, 
52  Lafayette  Place. 


§ 


INDEX.  297 


Pago. 

Horstville  ranch,  freedom  from  vermin 245 

Industry,  artificial  conditions  affecting 15 

natural   conditions   affecting 13 

Insects,  affecting  hops 113 

caterpillars           130,  136 

cynipidae 122 

flea-beetles 139 

hop  grub 128 

hop   merchants 131 

hop  plant  louse 115 

hop-vine   snout   moth      .       .       .       .       .       .               .       .  130 

lace-winged   flies 121 

lady-bird  beetles       .        .        .       .  • 121,  146 

leaf   hoppers 137 

needle-nosed    hop-bug .       .       .  143 

red   spider ....  139 

saddle -back  caterpillar 135 

syrphus   flies '.  121 

woolly  bear  caterpillar 134 

zebra  caterpillar ...  133 

Irrigation 69 

Kent,   introduction   into 1 

Kerosene  emulsion 124 

Kiln,  construction  of      .        .        .        178,  187,  194,  195,  203,  204,  205,  206 

cowl    for 181 

Kilns,   drying  stove   for 188 

fireproof 247 

in  N.   Y.   state 179 

on   Pacific   coast '.       .  185 

"jLupulin 51,  58 

composition  of 52 

extracting  the 239 

Machine,   hep-picking 173 

Markers 80 

Maturity,  dates  of 44 

Mold  washes 154 

New  York,  rules  regulating  hop  trade  in 282 

New  York  state,  cost  of  hops  in 251 

condition   of   soil 64 

first   yard   in 

growth  of  industry  in 

largest  yard         

Oast  houses,  English 177 

Oregon,  cost  of  growing  hops  in 256 

hop  lands  in 64 

industry  in 

Packing,  foreign  method  of 199 

Pickers'    checks 166,  167 

handling 171 

prices  paid 163,  168 

rules   for 165 

Picking,    care   in 163 

methods 1^ 

preliminary    work 159 

time  of 

Plant,  "dressing"  of 95 

food  removed  from  soil 71 

female 25 

food  removed  by JJ 

growth   of 

male ' 

sex   in •  •       • 

Planting,  best  time  for 

methods  of yA 


298  ADVERTISEMENTS. 


Walter  W.  Berry 

Gushmere  Court,  Selling,  near  Faversham,  EAST  KENT,  ENGLAND. 
(Telegrams— Berry,  Selling  Station.) 

Hop  Roots 


Grower  of  Choice, 
Selected  -^!=D 


Having  been  engaged  for  over  20  years  in  selecting  and 
improving  Hop  Sets,  which  I  grow  for  sale  on  e,  large  scale,  I 
beg  to  offer  Yearling  Roots  of  the  following  varieties,  which 
I  can  stiongly  recommend  as  being  of  choice  qualities  and 
proved  croppers  : 

Hramblings*  The  original  stock,  a  great  favorite,  ex- 
cellent quality,  heavy  cropper  and  generally  comes  out  well  in 
wet  seasons. 

Selected  Early  Bramblings.  This  variety  was  pro- 
duced from  one  root,  found  by  an  East  Kent  planter  in  1887, 
and  has  been  carefully  propagated  and  tested  year  by  year.  It 
is  an  excellent  cropper,  hardy  and  of  choice  quality  and  has 
taken  all  the  highest  prizes  at  the  London  Brewers'  Exhibition. 
It  is  ready  for  picking  four  to  five  days  before  the  ordinary 
Bramblings.  I  am  so  certain  of  the  value  of  this  variety  that 
I  have  already  30  acres  in  bearing. 

Cobb's  Early  Golding.  Raised  from  a  hill  found  in 
a  Golding  garden  by  the  late  Mr.  John  Cobb.  A  prodigious 
cropper,  good  Golding  quality  and  hardy.  It  matures  well 
when  old  Goldings  are  difficult  to  grow. 

East  Kent  Goldings.  (True  Stock.)  The  old  sort 
grown  universally  throughout  East  Kent.  They  are  of  very 
choice  quality,  but  rather  delicate.  They  pay  well  where  the 
land  suits  them. 

Other  varieties  can  be  supplied  to  order.  Roots  can  be 
packed  safely  and  shipped  to  all  parts  of  the  world. 


Walter  W.  Berry 


IXDEX.  299 

Page. 

Pleasanton  Hop  Company,  clearing       .       .  105 

clearing  wires     .        .        .       .  ~    .       .       .  m 

covering .       ;  106 

cross-plowing 106 

cultivation    ......  106 

grubbing        ......  105 

hilling    up     ........  Ill 

k.ilns.        •        •        •        •       ...       .       .       .       .       .'       .'  185, 

plowing '-..'.-        •    >   •        .    '   .        .  105 

pruning  .        .        . 105 

resetting 106 

setting  out^yard '  .  112 

stringing 109 

training  ............  109 

trellis 106 

tuckering Ill 

Plows,  use  of         .        .           ...       .       .       .       .       [  ioi 

Poles,  after  harvest       ....       .    .   .               .       .       \  173 

number  to   hill     ,       .        .       .       .       .       .       .       .       .       .  81,  82 

setting     .        .        .        .......        .        .        .  83 

Press      .        .        ...        .......       .       .       .  183 

homemade     .        .        .        .        ...,-.       .       .       .       .  255 

Prices,   at  New  York     .        .    -    .        .        .      -.       .       ...  263 

average  monthly  at  New  York,  1874-'96- 261 

fluctuations  at  New  York,  1874-'98 262 

fluctuations  of .       .       .       .  is 

uncertainty  of 233 

Properties,  bittering  principles 56 

narcotics .  52 

resin         .        ....        .    •    .    '    .       .               .       .       .  58 

tannic  acid    .               .       .       .       ....       .       .       .  56 

Quality,  descriptive  terms  .        .       .       .       .       .       .       .       .  220 

means  of  testing       .        .        .        ....       .       .       .  219 

Receipts  at  New  York,  1890-'97    .        . 261 

Resin    wash 124 

Root,   for  transplanting 90 

Roots      .        .        .        .        .        .        .       .       .       .       ...       .  25 

Russia,  hop  area  in 4 

Sample,    perfect .       .       .       .  227 

selling    by -   .       .       .       .228 

Sampling .       .  225 

Scorching,  by  sun 157 

Seeds,  in  Germany *.  52 

Selling,  best  time  for 232 

Shed 158 

Shovel  for  kiln 198 

Soil,  best  for  hops 62 

preparatory  working  of 68 

subsoiling      .                               67 

under  draining 67 

well    drained        .                               67 

Speculating  in  hops 233 

Spraying,  after  frost 155 

for  caterpillars 

for  hop  louse       . 122 

formula 124,  126,  130,  142 

in    Oregon 142 

in  Washington 141 

outfit 126 

Storage,  cold 237 

Store  room 237 

Storing,  loss  of  properties  in 239 

protection  from  atmosphere 237 

Strobile 29 

Sulphur,  for  hop  mold 152 


300  I^DEX. 


Page. 

Sulphuring,  methods  of       .       - 213 

reasons  for „       ....  214 

Taxation  of  hops  and  beer 16 

Terms  used  in  hop  trade 269-281 

Tobacco,   for   hop  yards 144 

Tools,  grub  hooks 95 

Training 83 

Tryer , 229 

Twining 83 

Tying   vines 102 

United  States,  acreage  and  values  .......  265 

census  of  crop,  1850-'90 265 

crops  compared 266 

foreign    trade,    1890-'96 266 

rank  of  hop  sections  in 265 

Varieties,  Canada  Red 41 

European 44 

in   California 42 

in  England 38 

in   New   York 40 

in    Oregon 43 

Vines,  climbing  nature  of    .               28 

disposing   of   old 173 

motion  of 27 

Washington,  cost  of  growing  hops  in    .        .               ...  258 

culture   in 9 

methods  of  culture  in 97 

Wind,  effect  on  plants 157 

Wind   lews 157 

Wiring   in   England 85 

Wisconsin,  culture  in 

World's  acreage 2 

acreage,  1890-'97 265 

hop  crops,  1890-' 97 264 

protection  and  consumption,  1884-'92 267 

supply 11 

Yard,  distance  of  plants 79 

hills  per  acre TO 

laying  out 80 

location  of 65 


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fit and  loss.  Cloth,  12mo $1.00 

Ornamental  Gardening  for  Americans. 

By  Elias  A.  Long,  landscape  architect.  A  treatise  on 
beautifying  homes,  rural  districts  and  cemeteries.  A 
plain  and  practical  work  with  numerous  illustrations  and 
instructions  so  plain  that  they  may  be  readily  followed. 
Illustrated.  Cloth,  12mo $1.50 

Grape  Culturist. 

By  A.  S.  Fuller.  This  is  one  of  the  very  best  of  works 
on  the  culture  of  the  hardy  grapes,  with  full  directions 
for  all  departments  of  propagation,  culture,  etc.,  with 
150  excellent  engravings,  illustrating  planting,  training, 
grafting,  etc.  Cloth,  12mo.  .  .  .  .  .  .  $1.50 


STANDARD   BOOKS. 

Turkeys  and  How  to  Grow  Them. 

Edited  by  Herbert  Myrick.  A  treatise  on  the  natural  his- 
tory and  origin  of  the  name  of  turkeys;  the  various 
breeds,  the  best  methods  to  insure  success  in  the  business 
of  turkey  growing.  With  essays  from  practical  turkey 
growers  in  different  parts  of  the  United  States  and  Can- 
ada. Copiously  illustrated.  Cloth,  12mo.  .  .  $1.00 

Profits  in  Poultry. 

Useful  and  ornamental  breeds  and  their  profitable  man- 
agement. This  excellent  work  contains  the  combined 
experience  of  a  number  of  practical  men  in  all  depart- 
ments of  poultry  raising.  It  is  profusely  illustrated  and 
forms  a  unique  and  important  addition  to  our  poultry 
literature.  Cloth,  12mo.  .  .  '  .  .  .  .  $1.00 

How  Crops  Grow, 

By  Prof.  Samuel  W.  Johnson  of  Yale  College.  New  and 
revised  edition.  A  treatise  on  the  chemical  composition, 
structure  and  life  of  the  plant.  This  book  is  a  guide  to 
the  knowledge  of  agricultural  plants,  their  composition, 
their  structure  and  modes  of  development  and  growth; 
of  the  complex  organization  of  plants,  and  the  use  of 
the  parts;  the  germination  of  seeds,  and  the  food  of 
plants  obtained  both  from  the  air  and  the  soil.  The 
book  is  indispensable  to  all  real  students  of  agriculture. 
With  numerous  illustrations  and  tables  of  analysis.  Cloth, 
12mo.  $1.50 

Coburn's  Swine  Husbandry, 

By  F.  D.  Coburn.  New,  revised  and  enlarged  edition.  The 
breeding,  rearing,  and  management  of  swine,  and  the 
prevention  and  treatment  of  their  diseases.  It  is  the  full- 
est and  freshest  compendium  relating  to  swine  breeding 
yet  offered.  Cloth,  12mo $1.50 

Stewart's  Shepherd's  Manual. 

By  Henry  Stewart.  A  valuable  practical  treatise  on  the 
sheep  for  American  farmers  and  sheep  growers.  It  is 
so  plain  that  a  farmer  or  a  farmer's  son  who  has  never 
kept  a  sheep,  may  learn  from  its  pages  how  to  manage 
a  flock  successfully,  and  yet  so  complete  that  even  the 
experienced  shepherd  may  gather  many  suggestions  from 
it.  The  results  of  personal  experience  of  some  years 
with  the  characters  of  the  various  modern  breeds  of 
sheep,  and  the  sheep  raising  capabilities  of  many  por- 
tions of  our  extensive  territory  and  that  of  Canada— and 
the  careful  study  of  the  diseases  to  which  our  sheep 
are  chiefly  subject,  with  those  by  which  they  may  even- 
tually be  afflicted  through  unforeseen  accidents— as  well 
as  the  methods  of  management  called  for  under  our 
circumstances,  are  carefully  described.  Illustrated.  Cloth, 
12mo $1.00 


STANDARD   BOOKS. 


Feeds  and  Feeding:. 

By  W.  A.  Henry.  This  handbook  for  students  and  stock 
men  constitutes  a  compendium  of  practical  and  useful 
knowledge  on  plant  growth  and  animal  nutrition,  feed- 
ing stuffs,  feeding  animals  and  every  detail  pertaining 
to  this  important  subject.  It  is  thorough,  accurate  and 
reliable,  and  is  the  most  valuable  contribution  to  live 
stock  literature  in  many  years.  All  the  latest  and  best 
information  is  clearly  and  systematically  presented,  mak- 
ing the  work  indispensable  to  every  owner  of  live  stock. 
658  pages,  8vo.  Cloth.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  $2.00 

Hunter  and  Trapper. 

By  Halsey  Thrasher,  an  old  and  experienced  sportsman. 
The  best  modes  of  hunting  and  trapping  are  fully  ex- 
plained, and  foxes,  deer,  bears,  etc.,  fall  into  his  traps 
readily  by  following  his  directions.  Cloth,  12mo.  $  .50 

The  Ice  Crop. 

By  Theron  L.  Hiles.  How  to  harvest,  ship  and  use  ice. 
A  complete,  practical  treatise  for  farmers,  dairymen,  ice 
dealers,  produce  shippers,  meat  packers,  cold  storers, 
and  all  interested  in  ice  houses,  cold  storage,  and  the 
handling  or  use  of  ice  in  any  way.  Including  many 
recipes  for  iced  dishes  and  beverages.  The  book  is 
illustrated  by  cuts  of  the  tools  and  machinery  used  in 
cutting  and  storing  ice,  and  the  different  forms  of  ice 
houses  and  cold  storage  buildings.  122  pp.,  ill.,  16mo. 
Cloth.  .'  *  ........  $1.00 

Practical  Forestry. 

By  Andrew  S.  Fuller.  A  treatise  on  the  propagation, 
planting  and  cultivation,  with  descriptions  and  the  botan- 
ical and  popular  names  of  all  the  indigenous  trees  of  the 
United  States,  and  notes  on  a  large  number  of  the  most 
valuable  exotic  species. $1.50 

Irrigation  for  the  Farm,  Garden  and  Orchard. 

By  Henry  Stewart.  This  work  is  offered  to  those  Amer- 
ican farmers  and  other  cultivators  of  the  soil  who,  from 
painful  experience, can  readily  appreciate  the  losses  which 
result  from  the  scarcity  of  water  at  critical  periods. 
Fully  illustrated.  Cloth,  12mo $1.00 

Market  Gardening:  and  Farm  Notes. 

By  Burnett  L,andreth.  Experiences  and  observation  for 
both  North  and  South,  of  interest  to  the  amateur  gar- 
dener, trucker  and  farmer.  A  novel  feature  of  the  book 
is  the  calendar  of  farm  and  garden  operations  for  each 
month  of  the  year;  the  chapters  on  fertilizers,  trans- 
planting, succession  and  rotation  of  crops,  the  packing, 
shipping  and  marketing  of  vegetables  will  be  especially 
useful  to  market  gardeners.  Cloth,  12mo.  .  .  $1.00 


STANDARD   BOOKS. 

The  Fruit  Garden. 

By  P.  Barry.  A  standard  work  on  fruit  and  fruit  trees, 
the  author  having  had  over  thirty  years'  practical  expe- 
rience at  the  head  of  one  of  the  largest  nurseries  in 
this  country.  Invaluable  to  all  fruit  growers.  Illustrated. 
Cloth,  12mo. $1.50 

The  Nut  Culturist. 

By  Andrew  S.  Fuller.  A  treatise  on  the  propagation, 
planting  and  cultivation  of  nut-bearing  trees  and  shrubs 
adapted ~to  the  climate  of  the  United  States,  with  the 
scientific  and  common  names  of  the  fruits  known  in 
commerce  as  edible  or  otherwise  useful  nuts.  Intended 
to  aid  the  farmer  to  increase  his  income  without  adding 
to  his  expenses  or  labor.  12mo.  -  Cloth.  .  .  $1.50 

American  Grape  Growing1  and  Wine  Making. 

By  George  Husmann  of  California.  New  and  enlarged 
edition.  With  contributions  from  well-known  grape  grow- 
ers, giving  wide  range  of  experience.  The  author  of  this 
book  is  a  recognized  authority  on  the  subject.  Cloth, 
12mo. $1.50 

Treat's  Injurious  Insects  of  the  Farm  and  Garden. 

By  Mrs.  Mary  Treat.  An  original  investigator  who  has 
added  much  to  our  knowledge  of  both  plants  and  insects, 
and  those  who  are  familiar  with  Darwin's  works  are 
aware  that  he  gives  her  credit  for  important  observa- 
tion and  discoveries.  New  and  enlarged  edition.  With 
an  illustrated  chapter  on  beneficial  insects.  Fully  illus- 
trated. Cloth,  12mo $1.50 

The  Dogs  of  Great  Britain,  America  and  Other  Coun- 
tries. 

New,  enlarged  and  revised  edition.  Their  breeding,  train- 
ing and  management,  in  health  and  disease;  comprising 
all  the  essential  parts  of  the  two  standard  works  on 
dogs  by  "Stonehenge."  It  describes  the  best  game  and 
hunting  grounds  in  America.  Contains  over  one  hundred 
beautiful  engravings,  embracing  most  noted  dogs  in  both 
continents,  making,  together  with  chapters  by  American 
writers,  the  most  complete  dog  book  ever  published. 
Cloth,  12mo $1.50 

Harris  on  the  Pig. 

By  Joseph  Harris.  New  edition.  Revised  and  enlarged 
by  the  author.  The  points  of  the  various  English  and 
American  breeds  are  thoroughly  discussed,  and  the 
great  advantage  of  using  thoroughbred  males  clearly 
shown.  The  work  is  equally  valuable  to  the  farmer 
who  keeps  but  few  pigs,  and  to  the  breeder  on  an  exten- 
sive scale.  Illustrated.  Cloth,  12mo.  .  .  .  $1.00 


STANDARD   BOOKS. 


Pear  Culture  for  Profit. 

By  P.  T.  Quinn,  practical  horticulturist.  Teaching  how 
to  raise  pears  intelligently,  and  with  the  best  results, 
how  to  find  out  the  character  of  the  soil,  the  best  meth- 
ods of  preparing  it,  the  best  varieties  to  select  under 
existing  conditions,  the  best  modes  of  planting,  pruning, 
fertilizing,  grafting,  and  utilizing  the  ground  before  the 
trees  come  into  bearing,  arid,  finally,  of  gathering  and 
packing-  for  market.  Illustrated.  Cloth,  12mo.  .  $1.00 

The  Secrets  of  Health,  or  How  Not  to  Be  Sick,  and 
How  to  Get  Well  from  Sickness. 

By  S.  H.  Platt,  A.  M.,  M.  D.,  late  member  of  the  Con- 
necticut Eclectic  Medical  Society,  the  National  Eclectic 
Medical  Association,  and  honorary  member  of  the  Nation- 
al Bacteriological  Society  of  America;  our  medical  editor 
and  author  of  "Talks  With  Our  Doctor"  and  "Our  Health 
Adviser  "  Nearly  600  pages.  Profusely  illustrated.  An 
index  of  20  pages,  so  that  any  topic  may  be  instantly 
consulted.  A  new  departure  in  medical  knowledge  for 
the  people—  the  latest  progress,  secrets  and  practices  of 
all  schools  of  healing  made  available  for  the  common 
people  —  health  without  medicine,  nature  without  humbug, 
common  sense  without  folly,  science  without  fraud.  12mo. 
576  pp.,  81  illustrations.  Cloth  .....  $1.50 

Gardening  for  Young:  and  Old. 

By  Joseph  Harris.  A  work  intended  to  interest  farmers' 
boys  in  farm  gardening,  which  means  a  better  and  more 
profitable  form  of  agriculture.  The  teachings  are  given 
in  the  familiar  manner  so  well  known  in  the  author's 
"Walks  and  Talks  on  the  Farm."  Illustrated.  Cloth, 
12mo  ...........  $1.00 

Money  in  the  Garden. 

By  P.  T.  Quinn.  The  author  gives  in  a  plain,  practical 
style,  instructions  on  three  distinct  although  closely  con- 
nected branches  of  gardening—  the  kitchen  garden,  mar- 
ket garden  and  field  culture,  from  successful  practical 
experience  for  a  term  of  years.  Illustrated.  Cloth,  12mo. 
............  $1.00 

The  Pruning:  Book. 

By  L,.  H.  Bailey.  This  is  the  first  American  work  exclu- 
sively devoted  to  pruning.  It  differs  from  most  other 
treatises  on  this  subject  in  that  the  author  takes  particu- 
lar pains  to  explain  the  principles  of  each  operation  in 
every  detail.  Specific  advice  is  given  on  the  pruning  of 
the  various  kinds  of  fruits  and  ornamental  trees,  shrubs 
and  hedges.  Considerable  space  is  devoted  to  the  pruning 
and  training  of  grapevines,  both  American  and  foreign. 
Every  part  of  the  subject  is  made  so  clear  and  plain  that 
it  can  be  readily  understood  by  even  the  merest  beginner. 
Cloth,  8vo,  530  pages.  Illustrated.  ....  $1.50 


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